HPLC grade unless
otherwise indicated. Sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, sodium cyanide,
KH2PO4, K2HPO4, and NH4OH were purchased from Fisher Scientific (Hanover Park, IL).
2,3-Naphthalene dialdehyde (NDA) was obtained from TCI America (Portland,
OR). Taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid) and NaBO2·4H2O were purchased from Alfa Aesar (Ward Hill, MA). NaSCN was
purchased from Acros Organics (Morris Plains, NJ). Human serum albumin
(HSA) and NaHS were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO).
Phosphate (0.1 M)/borate (0.05 M) buffer and stock solutions of sodium
hydroxide (1 M), sulfuric acid (1 M), and NaSCN (1 mM) were prepared
in deionized water. sodium cyanide standards and NaHS were obtained
by dilution from 1.8 mM and 1 M stock solutions, respectively, with
10 mM NaOH. NH4OH was prepared by diluting the original
aqueous solution (29% by weight or 14.5 M) to 30 μM in deionized
water. The NDA (2 mM) stock solution was prepared in phosphate/borate
buffer and 40% methanol. A taurine (50 mM) solution was prepared in
phosphate/borate buffer. A standard HSA solution was obtained by dissolving
3.3 mg of HSA per mL of deionized water.