ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETATE (EDTA) is a famous polydentate ligand. It is
Amonodentate
Bbidentate
Ctetradentate
Dhexadentate
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. hexadentate
1. EDTA has six potential donor atoms: 2 nitrogen atoms and 4 oxygen atoms (from the four carboxylate groups).
2. When fully deprotonated and bound, all six donor atoms can coordinate to a single metal centre.
3. So EDTA is HEXADENTATE — capable of forming six metal-donor bonds.
4. This is why EDTA forms exceptionally STABLE complexes with metal ions (chelate effect compounded six times) — used in water-hardness titrations, as an anticoagulant, and for heavy-metal detoxification.
5. With a hexadentate ligand and an octahedral metal, ONE EDTA molecule completely occupies the coordination sphere.
6. Other options misidentify the ligand type.
_Source: syllabus Chemistry Part 1, Ch 5, §5.2 (Polydentate ligands — EDTA example) + Table 5.1, p. 3._
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