Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) is an aminopolycarboxylic acid with the formula N (CH 2 CO 2 H) 3 . It is a colorless solid used as a chelating agent, which forms a coordination compound with a metal ion (chelata) such as Ca 2 , Cu 2 , and Fe 3 .
Video Nitrilotriacetic acid
Production and use
Nitrilotriacetic acid is commercially available as a free acid and as a sodium salt. It is produced from ammonia, formaldehyde, and sodium cyanide or hydrogen cyanide. Capacity worldwide is estimated to reach 100 thousand tons per year. NTA is also cogenerated as an impurity in EDTA synthesis, arising from coproduct ammonia reactions.
Maps Nitrilotriacetic acid
Coordinate chemistry and apps
NTA is tripodal tetradentat trianyic ligand.
The use of NTA is similar to EDTA, both of which are chelating agents. It is used for water softening and as a substitute for sodium and potassium triphosphate in detergents, and cleansers.
In one application, NTA as a chelating agent removes Cr, Cu, and As from wood that has been treated with copper-copper arsenate (CCA).
Laboratory using
In the laboratory, these compounds are used in the titration of complexometry. The NTA variant is used for the isolation and purification of proteins in his tag method. The modified NTA is used to disable nickel to solid support. This allows the purification of a protein containing a tag consisting of six histidine residues on both terminuses.
Toxicity and Environment
Nitroloacetic acid can cause eye irritation, skin, and respiratory tract; and can cause kidney and bladder damage. This compound is thought to have the potential to cause cancer in humans.
In contrast to EDTA, the NTA is easily biodegradable and almost completely disposed of during wastewater treatment. The environmental impact of the NTA is minimal. Although widely used in cleaning products, concentrations in water supplies are too low to have a substantial impact on human health or environmental quality.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia