The Potassium Binding Ligand Nonactin
For transport, alkali ions are bound by special ligands. These are generally heterocyclic oligopeptides, which often show a remarkable ion selectivity.
One example is nonactin, which binds potassium with the coordination number 8.
The ligand |
The potassium complex |
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The crown ethers are suitable model compounds for the size-selective coordination of singly charged cations.