Nitrilotriacetic acid participates as a multidentate ligand in many me
tal chelation compounds of Al, B, Bi, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Nd, Ni,
Pb, Ti, W, Zn and Zr. The structure of this popular ligand has been re
fined and compared with that of calcium nitrilotriacetate dihydrate [W
hitlow (1972). Acta Cryst. B28, 1914-1919], which is another structure
where this ligand is not affected by chelation.