Complexing deactivated metal ions

Metal Deactivation. Compounds capable of forming coordination complexes with metal ions are needed for this purpose. A chelating agent such as ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a good example. 

Chelants, or chelating agents, are typically organic chemicals (although inorganic chelants exist), which react with polyvalent metal ions to form ring structures that incorporate the metal ion within the molecule. Chelants tie up metals and deactivate them. Chelants forming water-soluble complexes with metal ions are called sequestrants. 

Metal deactivators form stable complexes with metal ions... 

Metal Deactivators. The abiUty of metal ions to catalyse oxidation can be inhibited by metal deactivators (19). These additives chelate metal ions and increase the potential difference between the oxidised and reduced states of the metal ions. This decreases the abiUty of the metal to produce radicals from hydroperoxides by oxidation and reduction (eqs. 15 and 16). Complexation of the metal by the metal deactivator also blocks its abiUty to associate with a hydroperoxide, a requirement for catalysis (20). 

Metal deactivators—Organic compounds capable of forming coordination complexes with metals are known to be useful in inhibiting metal-activated oxidation. These compounds have multiple coordination sites and are capable of forming cyclic strucmres, which cage the pro-oxidant metal ions. EDTA and its various salts are examples of this type of metal chelating compounds. 

Retard efficiently oxidation of polymers catalysed by metal impurities. Function by chelation. Effective metal deactivators are complexing agents which have the ability to co-ordinate the vacant orbitals of transition metal ions to their maximum co-ordination number and thus inhibit co-ordination of hydroperoxides to metal ions. Main use of stabilisation against metal-catalysed oxidation is in wire and cable applications where hydrocarbon materials are in contact with metallic compounds, e.g. copper. 

Synergy between primary and secondary anti-oxidants occurs and often a mixture is employed. Also included are metal complexing agents, e.g., EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), citric acid, the purpose of which is to deactivate extraneous metal ions that catalyse polymer oxidation. 

Metal-deactivating antioxidants. Transition metal compounds decompose hydroperoxides with the formation of free radicals, thereby increasing the rate of oxidation. Such an enhanced oxidation can be slowed down by the addition of a compound that interacts with metal ions to form complexes that are inactive with respect to hydroperoxides. Diamines, hydroxy acids, and other bifunctional compounds exemplify this type of antioxidants. 

Complexing agent that deactivates or reduces the ability of metal ions to initiate or to catalyze the degradation of a polymer. 

In some cases, the function of the metal ion is more to deactivate alternative sites of reaction than to activate a particular atom towards attack by an electrophile. A good example of this is seen in the transamination reaction of ornithine (5.12) with urea. Co-ordination of the ornithine to copper(n) results in the formation of a five-membered chelate ring, leaving the amino group of the 3-aminopropyl substituent as the most nucleophilic site in the complex. Reaction of this complex with urea results in a transamination process and the formation of the copper(n) complex of the substituted urea, which is the amino acid citrulline (5.13) (Fig. 5-20). The complex may be demetallated to yield the free amino acid in respectable yields. 

In earlier chapters we noted that metal ions could either activate or deactivate an imine with respect to addition of a nucleophile. We will now see an example of metal-ion activation in action. In fact, the complexes that are formed from 6.39 arise as a result of metal-initiated nucleophilic attack at the imine groups. The reaction of the free ligand 6.39 with methanolic cobalt(n) acetate results in the attack of methanol upon one of the imine bonds of the initially formed complex (Fig. 6-39). 

Metal compounds reach the lubricating oil by surface abrasion or the corrosive action of acidic oxidation products. The combustion fuel products with metal ions can be combined in a complex form and thus "masked" by so-called deactivators. Materials previously referred to as corrosion and rust inhibitors also function as metal ion deactivators, due to their ability to form a coating on the metal surface. 

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