Speciation of phytate ion in aqueous solution. Alkali metal complex formation in different ionic media.

The acid-base properties of phytic acid [ myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis(dihydrogen phosphate)] (H(12)Phy; Phy(12-)=phytate anion) were studied in aqueous solution by potentiometric measurements ([H+]-glass electrode) in lithium and potassium chloride aqueous media at different ionic strengths (0< I mol L(-1)< or =3) and at t=25 degrees C. The protonation of phytate proved strongly dependent on both ionic medium and ionic strength. The protonation constants obtained in alkali metal chlorides are considerably lower than the corresponding ones obtained in a previous paper in tetraethylammonium iodide (Et(4)NI; e.g., at I=0.5 mol L(-1), log K(3)(H)=11.7, 8.0, 9.1, and 9.1 in Et(4)NI, LiCl, NaCl and KCl, respectively; the protonation constants in Et(4)NI and NaCl were already reported), owing to the strong interactions occurring between the phytate and alkaline cations present in the background salt. We explained this in terms of complex formation between phytate and alkali metal ions. Experimental evidence allows us to consider the formation of 13 mixed proton-metal-ligand complexes, M(j)H(i)Phy((12-i-j)-), (M+ =Li+, Na+, K+), with j< or =7 and i< or =6, in the range 2.5< or =pH< or =10 (some measurements, at low ionic strength, were extended to pH=11). In particular, all the species formed are negatively charged: i+j-12=-5, -6. Very high formation percentages of M+-phytate species are observed in all the pH ranges investigated. The stability of alkali metal complexes follows the trend Li+ > or =Na+K+. Some measurements were also performed at constant ionic strength (I=0.5 mol L(-1)), using different mixtures of Et(4)NI and alkali metal chlorides, in order to confirm the formation of hypothesized and calculated metal-proton-ligand complex species and to obtain conditional protonation constants in these multi-component ionic media.