• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.30 no.9
• /
• pp.1956-1962
• /
• 2009

The binding abilities of two multidentate tripodal amine catechol ligands, cis,cis-1,3,5-tris[(2,3-dihydroxybenzylamino) aminomethyl]cyclohexane (TMACHCAT, $L^1)\;and\;N^1,N^3,N^5$-tris(2-(2,3-dihydroxybenzylamino) ethyl)cyclohexane-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (CYCOENCAT, $L^2$) with Ga(III) and In(III) have been investigated by potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods in an aqueous medium of 0.1 M KCl at 25 ${\pm}\;1\;{^{\circ}C}.$ The ligands $L^1\;and\;L^2$ formed various monomeric species $MLH_3,\;MLH_2$, MLH and ML (M = $Ga^{+3}\;and\;In^{+3}$) and showed potential to form strong encapsulated tris(catechol) type complexes. The coordination modes, binding ability and selectivity of the ligands towards Ga(III) and In(III) have been discussed with the help of experimental evidences, and supported with molecular modeling calculations.