A series of iron (III) complexes 1–4 of the tripodal tetradentate ligands N, N-bis (pyrid-2- ylmethyl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl) amine H (L1), N, N-bis (pyrid-2-ylmethyl)-N-(2-hydroxy-propyl) amine H (L2), N, N-bis (pyrid-2-ylmethyl)-N-ethoxyethanolamine H (L3), and N-((pyrid-2- ylmethyl)(1-methylimidazol-2-ylmethyl))-N-(2-hydroxyethyl) amine H (L4), have been isolated, characterized and studied as functional models for intradiol-cleaving catechol ...