Study of Cyclization of Chelating Compounds Using Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used for the study of cyclization of organic chelating compounds (chelators). Four chelating compounds were studed: Symmetrical ethylenediaminediacetic acid (s-EDDA), Unsymmetrical ethylenediaminediacetic acid (u-EDDA), N-(2-hydroxyethyl) ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)iminodiacetic acid (HEIDA). The chelators were cyclized with treatments of acids and heating. The open and cyclized form of the chelators were semi-quantified by both positive and negative ion modes ESI-MS. The kinetics of chelator cyclization was studied as a function of reaction temperature and the pH of the matrix. The cyclization of s-EDDA was found to be a pseudo-first order reaction in s-EDDA and overall second order. The cyclizations of HEIDA and HEDTA are reversible reactions. Higher temperature and lower pH favors cyclization.