Table 4. Half-life of thiol compounds in solution

Table

Conditions	2-Mercaptoethanol	DTT	Glutathione	3-Mercaptopropionate

		Half-life (hours)
pH 6.5, 20ºC	>100	40	16	7
pH 7.5, 20ºC	10	10	9	5
pH 8.5, 20ºC	4.0	1.4	1.3	4.5
pH 8.5, 0ºC	21	11	8	13
pH 8.5, 40ºC	1.0	0.2	0.2	1.6
pH 8.5, 20ºC + 0.1 mM Cu²⁺	0.6	0.6	1.2	0.4
pH 8.5, 20ºC + 1.0 mM EDTA	>100	4	70	>100

All thiol compounds were dissolved in 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer.
(Reprinted from Stevens et al. 1983 with permission from International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology © 1983.)