Sequestrant

Complexing agents, chelating agents also called, are chemical compounds which form chelate complexes with metal ions. They lead to a masking of ( undesirable ) chemical properties of metal ions.

Applications

In the food processing complexing agents are added as a food additive or are already natural ingredients. Masking of metal ions for stability of color, flavor and texture of the food. Increase the effect of antioxidants, as free heavy metal ions catalyze oxidations. They are used especially in canned vegetables, spice extracts, dairy products ( because of their desaggregierenden effect on casein). The sugar crystallization is facilitated in the presence of complexing agents, as these unwanted sugar metal complexes destroy.

Various complexing agents are used as builders in detergents and cleaning agents to mask the hardness of the water. You can also find application in electroplating and printed circuit board industry.

In analytical chemistry can be found in the Chelatometrie application.

In medicine, inter alia, the anti-coagulant effect of importance. Complexing agents are units of blood and blood collection tubes for added as an anticoagulant. In addition, complexing agents such as, for example, used for dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid treatment of heavy metal poisoning.

Examples

Iminodisuccinate tetrasodium salt is a good biodegradable complexing agent which is used in water systems for the prevention and resolution of limestone deposits.

1,4,7,10 -tetraazacyclododecane -1 ,4,7,10 - tetraacetic acid ( DOTA ) is used as a complexing agent in nuclear medicine (eg, in Edotreotid ) and magnetic resonance imaging ( as gadoteric acid ) application.

Triethanolamine is used as a basic component in soaps and cosmetics.

Food ingredients

Natural ingredients in foods, for example, dicarboxylic acids such as oxalic acid and succinic acid or for example hydroxy acids ( lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid). Also polyphosphates (ATP and pyrophosphate ), amino acids, peptides, proteins and porphyrins are natural food ingredients that act complex -forming.

Food Additives

  • Calciumdinatriumethylendiamintetraacetat ( E 385 )
  • Gluconic acid (E 574 )
  • Iso-ascorbic acid ( E 315 )
  • Sodium erythorbate ( E 316 )
  • Tartaric acid (E 334)
  • Citric acid ( E 330 ) Sodium citrate ( E331 )
  • Potassium citrate (E 332)
  • Calcium citrate ( E 333 )
Complexometric titration Adenosine triphosphate Trisodium citrate Digital Object Identifier
180759
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