BackgroundDespite the availability of information about the effect of aqua-surfactants media on the stability of binary complexes, data related to mixed ligand complexes of Phen and Orn with essential metals in aqua-surfactant medium is scarce. The aim of this study was, to determine the stabilities of the mixed ligand complexes of essential metal ions (Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ ) with Phen and Orn in aqua-TBAB and PEG-400 surfactants with an eye on the prediction of the bioavailability of the metal complexes.
ResultsComplexes of some essential metal (M) ions (Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ ) of L-ornithine (L) and 1,10-phenanthroline (X) ligands in various concentrations (0.0-2.5% v/v) of aqueous tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) or polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) surfactant were synthesized pH-metrically at 298 K and 0.16 mol L − 1 ionic strength. The relative amounts of L:M:X were 2.