X-ray structural analysis of biologically relevant aluminum(III) complexes

A review, with 53 refs. The x-ray crystal structures of selected aluminum compds. which may be of relevance to understanding aluminum binding in biol. contexts are described. These fall into four main categories: (a) those complexes where the metal is in a mononuclear environment, as would be found in siderophore and similar chelating agent complexes, exemplified by the structures obsd. with oxygen donors and with N/O donors; (b) polynuclear aluminum complexes which are possibly important species in hydrolyzing environments and relevant to aluminum uptake and bioavailability; (c) aluminum in environments found in metalloproteins; and (d) aluminum minerals relevant to bioavailability and to aluminum biomineralization and storage. [on SciFinder(R)]