hydroxamatecontaining

Hydroxamate-containing compounds are organic molecules that feature the hydroxamate functional group, defined as R-C(=O)-NHOH. The distinctive N-hydroxyamide linkage is the hallmark of these compounds, which can be present as simple hydroxamic acids or as part of larger, more complex structures.

A key chemical property of hydroxamate-containing compounds is their ability to act as multidentate ligands for metal ions. The coordinated oxygens of the carbonyl and the deprotonated hydroxyl enable strong chelation, often forming stable rings with metals such as iron, zinc, and copper. This chelating behavior underpins both their natural roles and practical applications.

In nature and medicine, hydroxamate motifs are prominent. Many siderophores—microbial iron-chelating compounds—to help acquire iron in challenging environments contain multiple hydroxamate groups (for example desferrioxamine B and related ferrioxamines). In medicine, hydroxamate-based drugs include iron chelators used to treat iron overload (desferrioxamine) and several histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors that employ a hydroxamate moiety to coordinate the metal in the enzyme active site (examples include vorinostat, panobinostat, and belinostat).

Industrial and research uses also exploit their metal-binding properties, including applications in metal separation, catalysis, sensing, and material science. Preparation typically involves forming the hydroxamate from a carboxylic acid derivative and hydroxylamine or related reagents. As chemical entities, hydroxamate-containing compounds can be irritants and are handled under standard safety practices.