metalenchelers

Metalenchelers is a term encountered mainly in Dutch-language chemistry and materials science literature. It refers to substances or reagents that bind metal ions through chelation, forming stable, multi-point coordination complexes. In practice, metallenchelers can describe classical small-molecule chelators as well as polymeric or macrocyclic ligands engineered to sequester specific metals.

Etymology and scope: The word combines metaal (metal) with cheler/chela- related terminology derived from chelation. In Dutch usage the term is often synonymous with "chelators" or "chelating agents," though some authors reserve it for ligands with explicit metal-binding backbones.

Mechanism and examples: Metalenchelers donate electron pairs from heteroatoms such as nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur to a metal ion, creating chelate rings and increasing complex stability. Common real-world examples include EDTA, DTPA, and NTA, used in medicine, laboratory chemistry, and industry. In biology, metal binding by chelators is exploited to treat metal overload or to remove trace metals in samples.

Applications: In medicine, chelation therapy removes excess metals (for example lead or iron). In agriculture and nutrition, chelated micronutrients improve plant uptake. In environmental engineering, chelators aid in metal pollution remediation and water treatment. In research, they stabilize metals in catalysts or spectroscopic probes.

See also: Chelation, Chelating agent, Metal ion, EDTA, DTPA.