Structure of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid

Abstract

The structure determination has shown that the little compound exists as a zwitterion in a gauche conformation about the central C-C bond. Both of the protonated N atoms participate in intramolecular hydrogen bonding. There are also two intermolecular hydronge-bond interactions which link the molecules into chains extending parallel to a. One of these hydrogen bonds, acting between the carboxylic acid groups, is strong [O...O=2.450 (2) A] and close to symmetrical. The carboxyl groups assume the usual synplanar conformation