Trimesate

Trimesate refers to chemical species that contain three carboxylate groups derived from trimesic acid, commonly serving as ligands in coordination chemistry and materials science. The term is used to describe the trimesate moiety in its anionic form (trimesate, 3−) when deprotonated, as well as neutral triester derivatives when esterified. The core structure is based on benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate, a rigid, highly symmetric framework that can coordinate to metal centers in various modes, including monodentate, bidentate, or bridging coordination to form extended networks.

Synthesis and derivatives: Esters are prepared by esterification of trimesic acid with alcohols, yielding triester derivatives used to tune solubility and steric properties. In solution or solid-state, deprotonation yields the trimesate anion, which can form salts with counterions such as sodium, potassium, or ammonium. In coordination chemistry, trimesate ligands mediate the assembly of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and coordination polymers, often contributing to high framework connectivity due to the three carboxylate groups.

Applications: As a tricarboxylate linker, trimesate derivatives enable construction of porous inorganic-organic frameworks with potential uses in gas storage, catalysis, and separations. They also appear in supramolecular chemistry as building blocks for hydrogen-bonded networks.

Note: The term does not denote a single defined compound; its meaning depends on context—anionic trimesate, neutral triesters, or metal complexes containing the trimesate ligand.