Abstract Four new ligands for lanthanide ions based on the H 3 do3a (= 1, 4, 7, 10- tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acid) structure and bearing one N-sulfonylacetamide arm were synthesized, ie, H 4 dota-NHSO 2 R= 10-{2-[(R) sulfonylamino]-2-oxoethyl}-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acids 1a–e. A 15 N-NMR study of the 15 N- labelled Eu 3+ complex of one such ligands, 1d, showed that the coordination of the N- ...