1. capable of forming a chelate complex with a metal ion or chelating agent
Usage: chemistry; technical

Examples

• EDTA is a chelatable ligand commonly used in laboratory analysis.
• The chelatable properties of this compound make it useful for removing heavy metals from contaminated water.
• Certain amino acids are chelatable and can bind to metal ions in biological systems.
• The researcher tested whether the new molecule was chelatable with calcium.
• Heavy metals in the soil were chelatable using organic acids.