Buffering Agent: Citric acid is used to prepare buffer solutions for various pH ranges. Buffers help to maintain a stable pH, which is crucial in many biochemical and biological experiments.
Chelating Agent: Its chelating properties are valuable in research, particularly in studies involving metal ions. Citric acid can bind to metal ions and is often used to dissolve and solubilize metal ions or compounds.
Complex Formation: It forms complexes with certain compounds, aiding in their solubility or stability, which is essential in analytical chemistry and various research experiments.
Enzyme Inhibitor: Citric acid can act as an inhibitor for some enzymes, making it useful in certain enzymatic assays or studies involving enzyme kinetics.
Cell Culture: In cell culture studies, citric acid might be used as a component of the cell culture medium to maintain proper pH levels or as a chelator to prevent metal ion contamination.
Research Model: Some studies also utilize citric acid in experimental models to investigate its effects on different biological or chemical processes.