Chelating properties of lactate anion. perturbing effect of additional ligands on bis(DL-lactato)-metal(II) complexes

Abstract Dilactate complexes of copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), zinc(II) and their adducts with bases have been considered. Tetragonal structure of the complexes and chelating behavior of the lactate anion, coordinated through one oxygen of the carboxylate group and the oxygen of the hydroxo group, is suggested. The strength of the metal-lactate bond greatly depends on the presence of the base molecule axial with respect to the plane of the lactate anion.