Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Does caffeine form chelates?

Electra - 7-2-2016 at 20:25

I know caffeine acts somewhat as a weak base. Does anyone know if it has the tendency to complex with weak lewis acids (like Magnesium/Nickel Salts), as these salts would with ammonia?

Fantasma4500 - 7-2-2016 at 20:28

i have found it that a solution of magnesium chloride and caffeine somewhat weakens in its psychoactive properties over time
im looking for explanations of this phenomena and so far only idea have been exposure to UV and the magnesium chloride breaking down the caffeine, could be its chelating, too?

DraconicAcid - 7-2-2016 at 20:40

I doubt it's a chelate, but it does form complexes.

http://sphinxsai.com/2014/ChemTech/JM14CT51_100/CT=55%28465-...

https://doc.rero.ch/record/11230/files/fromm_ssc.pdf

This one has a crystal structure for a copper(II) carboxylate caffeine complex. It's dimeric, like copper(II) acetate monohydrate, with the carboxylate ligands bridging the two coppers, and the caffeine ligands occupying the position that the water ligands would have been. Monodentately.

[Edited on 8-2-2016 by DraconicAcid]