The synthesis and iron(III) coordination properties of three
tripodal ligands (L
1
,
L
2
, and
L
3
) possessing
hydroxamate coordination cavities are examined by various methods
(ESMS, UV−vis, CD). The ligands rely on a
trisamine as anchor, which is extended by an alternating sequence of
variable spacers and hydroxamates as ion
binding groups. This modular strategy of design is adopted for the
compounds' preparation and enables modifications
of each structural element independently. The coordination
properties of these iron binding molecules and
particularly
the presence of allosteric effects are examined by classical
spectrophotometric titrations in combination with
electrospray mass spectrometric measurements (ESMS). A good match
between these two methods is observed, as
both indicate the formation of three species in thermodynamic
equilibrium: mononuclear, binuclear, and trinuclear
ferric complexes. The respective stability constants are
determined at p[H] = 6.5 ± 0.1 in methanol, and the
corresponding distribution curves clearly illustrate the variations
from ligand to ligand. These findings demonstrate
that subtle structural changes have a pronounced effect on these
compounds' coordination properties. Moreover,
among the binders studied representatives of opposite cooperative
behavior is identified. The observed dependence
of the ligands' coordination properties on their structural features
are rationalized.