chelate
n.
a compound formed by combination of a metal ion in solution with a compound containing heteroatoms (such as oxygen or nitrogen), in which at least two heteroatoms are bound to the metal. The bonds may be covalent or non-covalent. Chelates in some cases have very low dissociation constants, and organic compounds ( chelating agents ) which form such chelates are therefore used to reduce the concentration of free metal ions in solution.
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