External solution · Recording aCSF
aCSF recording solution recipe
A 2 L artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) starting recipe for electrophysiology recordings. Use the interactive calculator to scale the batch or edit concentrations, molecular weights, and stock solutions.
Calculate a different volumeDefault batch
2 L starting recipe
| Compound | Final (mM) | MW (g/mol) | Source | Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NaCl | 126.0 | 58.44 | Powder | 14.73 g |
| KCl | 2.5 | 74.56 | 1000.0 mM stock | 5.00 mL |
| NaH₂PO₄ | 1.2 | 137.99 | 1000.0 mM stock | 2.40 mL |
| NaHCO₃ | 21.4 | 84.01 | Powder | 3.60 g |
| CaCl₂ | 2.4 | 111.00 | 1000.0 mM stock | 4.80 mL |
| MgCl₂·6H₂O | 1.2 | 203.31 | 1000.0 mM stock | 2.40 mL |
| Dextrose | 10.0 | 180.16 | Powder | 3.60 g |
About this recording aCSF
This recording aCSF formulation includes sodium chloride, potassium, phosphate, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, and dextrose. It is an editable starting recipe rather than a universal formulation, because laboratories may use different concentrations for different preparations and recording conditions.
Confirm the intended gas equilibration, pH, temperature, and measured osmolality for your protocol. Verify every salt form and hydration state against its supplier label before preparing the solution.
How the amounts are calculated
Powder
g = mM × L × MW ÷ 1000
Stock solution
mL = desired mM × final mL ÷ stock mM
Before preparing the solution
Treat this as a starting formulation. Verify the exact salt form, hydration state, molecular weight, and assay on each supplier label. Adjust pH experimentally, bring the mixture to final volume, and measure osmolality. The nominal concentration sum is not an osmolality prediction.