Introduction To Chelating Agents

Metal atoms or ions interact with ligands containing two or more coordination atoms to form a complex with a cyclic structure, which is called a chelate. This ligand substance that can form chelates is called a chelating agent, also known as a complexing agent. Also known as chelating ligand, chelating group or multidentate ligand.
There are two or more coordination atoms in the ligand, and they form a chelate ring with a central atom (or ion) at the same time. Due to the ring-forming effect of the chelating agent, chelates are more stable than non-chelating coordination compounds with similar composition and structure.
Most chelating agents are organic ligands. The largest number of chelating agents discovered so far reaches fourteen teeth. The most common coordinating atoms in chelating agents are oxygen and nitrogen, followed by sulfur, phosphorus, arsenic, etc.
"Chelate" is used to describe this type of compound because the molecular structure is like the two large "clamps" of a "crab" that clamp metal atoms or ions.