Na+ and K+ Binding by Fulvic Acid

The electrostatic binding of Na+ and K+ by fulvic acid in aqueous solution has been measured with cation electrodes at 25.00 °C ± 0.05. The binding equilibria were followed during the course of acid–base titrations, and have revealed distinct binding regions in the titration curves. In one of these regions Na+ is more strongly bound than is K+. The standard free energies of binding were 11.7 × 103 to 20.5 × 103 J/mol ± 2% for Na+, and 11.5 × 103 to 17.8 × 103 J/mol ± 1%, for K+.