The present invention provides an iron chelating agent which is able to chelate iron ions selectively. The iron chelating agent of the present invention is characterized by a compound represented by the formula (1) as shown below, or a salt thereof. (In formula (1), a ring Z represents a ring of aromatic hydrocarbon or a ring of hetero aromatic compound. R1represents an alkylene. R2and R3represent independently a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group or a group which has chelating capability, and the total coordination number of the groups represented by R2and R3is 1 or 2.)本發明提供一種可對鐵離子作選擇性螯合之鐵螯合劑。本發明之鐵螯合劑之特徵在於:係下述式(1)所示之化合物或其鹽。式(1)中,環Z表示芳香族烴環或芳香族雜環。R1表示伸烷基。R2及R3分別獨立表示氫原子、烴基或具有螯合能力之基,且R2及R3所示之基的配位數合計為1或2。
