With a larger bicarbonate buffer concentration and minimal effect on pH changes in the ground state by the photoacid buffer, the concentration of the protonated form of the photoacid is determined by the bicarbonate buffer concentration, partial pressure of CO2, and the pKa value of the photoacid's ground state. Figure illustrates the ratio of protonated photoacid ([PAH]) to the total amount of photoacid ([PA]total), obtained under 15% CO2 and varying bicarbonate buffer concentrations. For instance, with a pKa value of 7.7, the protonated form ([PAH]) comprises 0.6 of the total photoacid ([PA]total) with a bicarbonate concentration of 100 mM. However, if the bicarbonate buffer concentration increases to 500 mM, the ratio of the protonated form ([PAH]/[PA]total) in the ground state drops below 0.3. This reduced ratio implies a decrease in the effective concentration of the photoacid, thereby affecting its carbon capture and release capacity. Hence, a larger proportion of the protonated form in the ground state is desirable to maximize the carbon capture and release capacity.