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Related Concept Videos

EDTA: Chemistry and Properties01:22

EDTA: Chemistry and Properties

2.5K
Polydentate ligands are most widely used in complexometric titrations because they form more stable complexes with the metal ions than mono- or bidentate ligands due to the chelate effect. Examples of polydentate ligands are ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), crown ethers, and cryptands. The most important feature of optimal polydentate ligands is the ability to form 1:1 complexes in a single-step process. Amino carboxylic acid derivatives are frequently used as complexing agents. EDTA is...
2.5K
EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents01:26

EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents

875
EDTA titrations are usually carried out in highly basic conditions, where the fully deprotonated form of EDTA, Y4−, actively complexes with the free metal ions in the solution. Several metal ions precipitate as hydrous oxide (hydroxides, oxides, or oxyhydroxides) under these conditions, lowering the concentration of free metal ions in the solution. For this reason, auxiliary complexing agents or ligands such as ammonia, tartrate, citrate, or triethanolamine are used in EDTA titrations to...
875
EDTA: Conditional Formation Constant01:09

EDTA: Conditional Formation Constant

1.4K
Each EDTA molecule has six binding sites: four carboxyl groups and two amino groups. The fully protonated form of EDTA is represented as H6Y2+. However, it can exist in different forms, H5Y+, H4Y, H3Y−, H2Y2−, and HY3−, depending on the pH of the solution. In very basic solutions with pH > 10.17, the fully deprotonated form, Y4−, is the predominant species that readily complexes with metal ions in a 1:1 ratio.
For the equilibrium reaction of the metal with the...
1.4K
Complexometric EDTA Titration Curves01:20

Complexometric EDTA Titration Curves

1.3K
EDTA titration curves determine the free metal ion concentration. The titration curve represents the change in concentration of free metal ions (p function) as a function of the volume of EDTA added. This curve consists of three regions: before, at, and after equivalence points. Excess free metal ions are present before the equivalence point. Equal concentrations of metal ions and EDTA are present at the equivalence point. After the equivalence point, excess EDTA exists. This means slight...
1.3K
Masking and Demasking Agents01:19

Masking and Demasking Agents

3.0K
EDTA titrations may necessitate masking and demasking agents to temporarily protect a particular metal ion in a mixture from the EDTA reaction. These agents facilitate the sequential analysis of the metal ions by forming stable complexes with some—but not all—metal ions during certain steps.
There are many masking agents, such as cyanide, fluoride, triethanolamine, thiourea, and 2,3-bis(sulfanyl)propan-1-ol (formerly 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol), with the masking agent chosen based on...
3.0K
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect01:19

Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

788
In complexation reactions, metal atoms or cations interact with ligands to form donor-acceptor adducts called metal complexes. Ligands that bind through one donor site are monodentate, ligands with two donor sites are bidentate, and those with more than two donor sites are polydentate ligands. For example, ethylene diamine is a bidentate ligand that binds through two nitrogen donor atoms, forming a five-membered ring. EDTA is a polydentate ligand that binds through four oxygen and two nitrogen...
788

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Hydrolysis of a Ni-Schiff-Base Complex Using Conditions Suitable for Retention of Acid-labile Protecting Groups
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Fragmentation behavior of EDTA complexes under different activation conditions.

Sebastian Beck1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Journal of Mass Spectrometry : JMS
|June 28, 2021
PubMed
Summary

This study details the fragmentation patterns of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its metal complexes using various mass spectrometry techniques. Characteristic fragmentations reveal trends related to metal size and periodic table location.

Keywords:
CIDEDTAESIHCDIRMPD

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Analysis of Complex Molecules and Their Reactions on Surfaces by Means of Cluster-Induced Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry
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Area of Science:

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Coordination Chemistry

Background:

  • Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a versatile complexation agent forming stable complexes with numerous metals.
  • EDTA finds widespread use in food, medical, and household applications due to its strong metal-binding capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the fragmentation behavior of EDTA and its metal complexes under different dissociation conditions.
  • To analyze fragmentation patterns using high-resolution mass spectrometry for elemental composition assignment.
  • To identify trends in fragmentation based on metal properties and periodic table location.

Main Methods:

  • Electrospray ionization (ESI) in both positive and negative modes.
  • Collision-induced dissociation (CID), infrared-multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD), and higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) activation.
  • High-resolution accurate mass analysis using ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) and Orbitrap mass spectrometers.

Main Results:

  • Characteristic fragmentation patterns were observed for EDTA and its various metal complexes.
  • High-resolution mass spectrometry enabled unambiguous assignment of elemental compositions for most fragments.
  • Fragmentation trends correlated with the size and periodic table position of the complexed metal ions.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides detailed insights into the gas-phase dissociation mechanisms of EDTA-metal complexes.
  • Mass spectrometry fragmentation analysis is a powerful tool for characterizing metal-EDTA interactions.
  • Observed trends can aid in predicting and understanding the behavior of similar complexes.