what is macrocyclic effect?

Coordination chemists study macrocycles with three or more potential donor atoms in rings of greater than nine atoms as these compounds often have strong and specific binding with metals. This property of coordinating macrocyclic molecules is the macrocyclic effect.

The macrocylic effect says that a macrocyclic ligand complex is more stable than its open chain analogue.

Some typical macrocyclic ligands are the cyclic amine compounds.