A hexadentate ligand in
coordination chemistry
A coordination complex consists of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ''ligands'' or complexing agents. Many ...
is a
ligand
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule (functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electr ...
that combines with a central metal atom with six bonds.
One example of a hexadentate ligand that can form complexes with soft metal ions is
TPEN
TPEN (''N'',''N'',''N′'',''N′''-tetrakis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine) is an intracellular membrane-permeable ion chelator. TPEN has a high affinity for many transition metals and should not be considered specific or selective ...
.
[ A commercially important hexadentate ligand is ]EDTA
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is an aminopolycarboxylic acid with the formula H2N(CH2CO2H)2sub>2. This white, water-soluble solid is widely used to bind to iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) and calcium ions (Ca2+), forming water-soluble complexes eve ...
.
The denticity
In coordination chemistry, denticity () refers to the number of donor groups in a given ligand that bind to the central metal atom in a coordination complex. In many cases, only one atom in the ligand binds to the metal, so the denticity equals ...
of hexadentate ligands is often denoted with the prefix κ6.
Topology
The way the donor atoms are joined together in the molecule is its topology. Some topologies are simple, such as the linear or ring shapes. The molecule can also be branched, either at a donor atom, or at a non-donor atom. Example shapes are the tripod, and amplector, with a bifurcation at each end. Rigid molecules can be used to force unusual coordination such as trigonal prism
In chemistry, octahedral molecular geometry, also called square bipyramidal, describes the shape of compounds with six atoms or groups of atoms or ligands symmetrically arranged around a central atom, defining the vertices of an octahedron. The oc ...
. F. Lions identified 36 different hexadentate topologies.
References
Ligands
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