Is it safe to lyophilize/Freeze-dry a chelated compound? I have a compound that consists of a metal ion chelated by a linear organic structure with assorted moieties in aqueous medium. I'd like to dehydrate this mixture fully to get solid product, but heating is out of question due to unwanted repercussions on aforementioned "assorted moieties". If I lyophilize the compound, will it remain chelated or is there a risk of the metal ion unbinding? 



I lyophilized my sample and redissolved a portion of it and confirmed chelation by verifying the presence of the absorption peak of the Lanthanide I was chelating and using Beer's Law. 

Thanks for your help.
Lyophilization is regarded safer as normal drying because it is performed at considerably lower temperature; however in order to achieve this, you have to lower the pressure above the condensed phase, too.  Naturally volatile compounds (including some organic compounds solid at room temperature) may sublime under these conditions, too; which may be hold for hours, even days to remove the water gradually.  This simultaneous process may lower the yield of isolated product.

Other light organic molecules (like methanol, ethanol, THF) equally may leave the vessel, too.  The complexation may be affected if leaving molecules were involved as part of the no-further specified chelate, too.