Four geminal bis(phosphinic acids), namely, aminomethylbis(H‐phosphinic acid) (H2L1) and 4‐aminobutyl‐1‐hydroxy‐1,1‐bis(R‐phosphinic acid) with R = H (H2L2), Me (H2L3) and CH2CH2COOH (H4L4), were studied. Their acid–base properties and coordination ability towards Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ ions were studied by potentiometry, UV/Vis spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. The amine group in H2L1 has a lower protonation constant (log Ka = 6.79) than those found for other studied bisphosphinates (log Ka = 10.75–11.05) with distant amine groups. The structure of [Ca(H2L2‐O,O′)(HL2‐O,O′)]Cl revealed an octahedral arrangement of the metal coordination sphere and a linear polymeric structure, which forms through eight‐membered Ca(–O–P–O–)2Ca rings. The structure of [Cu(HL3‐O,O′)2(H2O)]·5H2O shows two chelating bisphosphinate groups in an equatorial O4 environment. The structure of [Cu(H0.5L3‐O,O′)(NO3)0.5]·2.25H2O shows two different coordination environments, one is an elongated tetragonal pyramid, and the other is a trigonal bipyramid with a bidentate nitrate ion.

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Three symmetrical methylene-bis[(aminomethyl)phosphinic acids] bearing different substituents on the central carbon atom, (NH(2)CH(2))PO(2)H-C(R(1))(R(2))-PO(2)H(CH(2)NH(2)) where R(1) = OH, R(2) = Me (H(2)L(1)), R(1) = OH, R(2) = Ph (H(2)L(2)) and R(1),R(2) = H (H(2)L(3)), were synthesized. Acid-base and complexing properties of the ligands were studied in solution as well as in the solid state. The ligands show unusually high basicity of the nitrogen atoms (log K(1) = 9.5-10, log K(2) = 8.5-9) if compared with simple (aminomethyl)phosphinic acids and, consequently, high stability constants of the complexes with studied divalent metal ions. The study showed the important role of the hydroxo group attached to the central carbon atom of the geminal bis(phosphinate) moiety. Deprotonation of the hydroxo group yields the alcoholate anion which tends to play the role of a bridging ligand and induces formation of polynuclear complexes. Solid-state structures of complexes [H(2)N=C(NH(2))(2)][Cu(2)(H(-1)L(2))(2)]CO(3)·10H(2)O and Li(2)[Co(4)(H(-1)L(1))(3)(OH)]·17.5H(2)O were determined by X-ray diffraction. The complexes show unexpected geometries forming dinuclear and cubane-like structures, respectively. The dinuclear copper(II) complex contains a bridging μ(2)-alcoholate group with the (-)O-P(=O)-CH(2)-NH(2) fragments of each ligand molecule chelated to the different central ion. In the cubane cobalt(II) complex, one μ(3)-hydroxide and three μ(3)-alcoholate anions are located in the cube vertices and both phosphinate groups of one ligand molecule are chelating the same cobalt(II) ion while each of its amino groups are bound to different neighbouring metal ions. All such three metal ions are bridged by the alcoholate group of a given ligand.

Hdota and its analogues are routinely used for complexation of lanthanide radioisotopes in nuclear medicine. Many of the radioisotopes have short half-lives and, thus, the complexation rate plays an important role. Notwithstanding that, the relationship between ligand structures and complexation rates is not well understood. Here we report a complexation study of Hdota and its analogues bearing one phosphonate or phosphinate pendant arm. The substituents on the phosphinate group were non-coordinating (-H) or contained another coordinating group (-CHN(CHCOOH), -CHPOH or -CHNH). The basicity of ligands, stability of reaction intermediates, formation rates of Ce complexes, and Lu radiolabelling were studied. The complexation rates and labelling yields do not show any correlation with ligand basicity. In contrast, the additional chelating group attached to the pendant arm plays an important role. A decreased complexation rate and lower labelling yield were found for compounds bearing an additional amino group, whereas improved properties were found for the compound bearing a geminal bis(phosphinate) pendant arm. It indicates that the introduction of chelating pendant arms with acidic coordinating groups might be a promising strategy to improve radiolabelling of macrocyclic carriers with metal radioisotopes.