chemistry

MES (buffer)

MES (buffer) is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MES (buffer) rather than just read about it. In short: MES (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid) is a chemical compound that contains a morpholine ring. It has a molecular weight of 195.2 g/mol and the chemical formula is C6H13NO4S.

Key takeaways

MES (buffer) belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MES (buffer) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MES (buffer) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MES (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid) is a chemical compound that contains a morpholine ring. It has a molecular weight of 195.2 g/mol and the chemical formula is C6H13NO4S. Synonyms include: 2-morpholinoethanesulfonic acid; 2-(4-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid; 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid; 2-(4-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid; MES; MES hydrate; and morpholine-4-ethanesulfonic acid hydrate. MOPS is a similar pH buffering compound which contains a propanesulfonic moiety instead of an ethanesulfonic one.

Applications MES is used as a buffering agent in biology and biochemistry. It has pKa value of 6.15 at 20 °C. The pH (and pKa at ionic strength I≠0) of the buffer solution changes with concentration and temperature, and this effect may be predicted using online calculators. MES is highly soluble in water. The melting point is approx. 300 °C. MES was developed as one of Good's buffers in the 1960s. These buffers were developed with the following criteria in mind: midrange pKa, maximum water solubility and minimum solubility in all other solvents, minimal salt effects, minimal change in pKa with temperature, chemically and enzymatically stable, minimal absorption in visible or UV spectral range and reasonably easily synthesized. MES is also useful as a non-coordinating buffer in chemistry involving metal ions, as many common buffers (e.g. phosphate and acetate) readily form coordination complexes. MES only weakly binds Ca, Mg, Mn, and it has negligible binding with Cu(II).

Effect of impurities Commercial preparations of MES (and other sulfonylethyl buffers like BES, CHES, and PIPES) can contain a contaminant oligo(vinylsulfonic acid) (OVS), which is a polyanionic mimic of RNA, and can be a potent (pM) inhibitor of RNA binding proteins and enzymes.

Safety Contact with this buffer is hazardous; skin or eye exposure should be cleaned well with water and medical aid should be sought in the case of eye exposure, swallowing, or inhalation of dust. It also emits toxic fumes upon combustion, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur oxides.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MES (buffer)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MES (buffer) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MES (buffer) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MES (buffer) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MES (buffer)

In research: MES (buffer) appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MES (buffer) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MES (buffer) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 4-Morpholinyl compounds, Buffer solutions, Sulfonic acids, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MES (buffer) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study MES (buffer) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MES (buffer) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MES (buffer) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MES (buffer) in simple terms?

MES (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid) is a chemical compound that contains a morpholine ring. It has a molecular weight of 195.2 g/mol and the chemical formula is C6H13NO4S.

Why does MES (buffer) matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MES (buffer)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MES (buffer).