The chemical speciation of Mn 2+ within cells is critical for its transport, availability and redox properties. Herein we investigate the redox behavior and complexation equilibria of Mn 2+ in aqueous solutions of bicarbonate by voltametry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and discuss the implications for the uptake of Mn 2+ by mangano-cluster enzymes like photosystem II (PSII). Both the electrochemical reduction of Mn 2+ to Mn 0 at an Hg electrode and EPR (in the absence of a polarizing electrode), revealed formation of 1:1 and 1:2 Mn-(bi)carbonate complexes as a function of Mn 2+ and bicarbonate concentrations. Pulsed EPR spectroscopy, including ENDOR, ESEEM and 2D-HYSCORE, were used to probe the hyperfine couplings to 1 H and 13 C nuclei of the ligand(s) bound to Mn 2+ . For the 1:2 complex the complete 13 C hyperfine tensor for one of the (bi) carbonate ligands was determined and it was established that this ligand coordinates to Mn 2+ in bidentate mode with 13 C-Mn distance of 2.85 ± 0.1 Å. The second (bi)carbonate ligand in the 1:2 complex coordinates possibly in monodentate mode, which is structurally less defined, and its 13 C signal is broad and unobservable. 1 H ENDOR reveals that 1-2 water ligands are lost upon binding of one bicarbonate ion in the 1:1 complex while 3-4 water ligands are lost upon forming the 1:2 complex. Thus, we deduce that the dominant species above 0.1 M bicarbonate concentration is the 1:2 complex, [Mn(CO 3 )(HCO 3 )(OH 2 ) 3 ] -.