page_title: Tripodal ligand
section_title: Coordination chemistry
hierarchical_section_title: Tripodal ligand / Coordination chemistry
caption_attribution_description: English: [Ni(TACH)(aq)3]++ from doi 10.1021/ic00168a042
context_page_description: Tripodal ligands are tri- and tetradentate ligands with C₃ symmetry. They are popular in research in the areas of coordination chemistry and homogeneous catalysis. Because the ligands are polydentate, they do not readily dissociate from the metal centre.
context_section_description: When used in coordination complexes with an octahedral molecular geometry the tridentate tripod ligands occupy one face, leading to a fixed facial (or fac) geometry.  The tetradentate tripodal ligands occupy four contiguous sites, leaving two cis positions available on the octahedral metal center. When bound to four- and five-coordinate metal centres, these ligands impose C₃ symmetry, which can lead to uncommon ligand field splitting patterns. Tripodal ligands are often able to coordinately saturate metal ions with lower coordination numbers.
  One tripodal ligand of commercial significance is nitrilotriacetate, N(CH₂CO₂⁻)₃ because it is cheaply produced and has a high affinity for divalent metal ions.  Other tripodal triamine ligands include tren (N(CH₂CH₂NH₂)₃) and cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane. Certain triphosphines such as RC(CH₂PPh₂)₃ are also tripodal.  Many kinds of donor groups have been incorporated into the arms of tripodal ligands, including amido (R₂N⁻), and N-heterocyclic carbenes.
caption: Structure of [Ni(TACH)(H2O)3]2+ (color code: blue = nitrogen, red = oxygen, dark blue = nickel).[3]
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