Columns used in polyhistidine-tagging, useful in biochemistry and molecular biology, are regenerated with nickel sulfate. Aqueous solutions of NiSO4·6H2O and related hydrates react with ammonia to give [Ni(NH3)6]SO4 and with ethylenediamine to give [Ni(H2NCH2CH2NH2)3]SO4. The latter is occasionally used as a calibrant for magnetic susceptibility measurements because it has no tendency to hydrate.