The tripodal hexadentate picolinate ligand dpaa3- (H3dpaa=N,N'-bis[(6-carboxypyridin-2-yl)methyl]glycine) has been synthesised. It can form 1:1 and 1:2 lanthanide/ligand complexes. The crystal structure of the bis(aquo) lutetium complex [Lu(dpaa)(H2O)2] has been determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The number of water molecules was determined by luminescence lifetime studies of the terbium and europium complexes. The tris(aquo) terbium complex shows a fairly high luminescence quantum yield (22 %). The [Gd(dpaa)(H2O)3] complex displays a high water solubility and an increased stability (pGd=12.3) with respect to the analogous bis(aquo) complex [Gd(tpaa)(H2O)2] (pGd=11.2). Potentiometric and relaxometric studies show the formation of a soluble GdIII hydroxo complex at high pH values. A unique aquohydroxo gadolinium complex has been isolated and its crystal structure determined. This complex crystallises as a 1D polymeric chain consisting of square-shaped tetrameric units. In heavy water, the [Gd(dpaa)-(D2O)3] complex shows a quite high HOD proton relaxivity at high field (11.93 s(-1) mM(-1) at 200 MHz and 298 K) because of the three inner-sphere water molecules. The formation of ternary complexes with physiological anions has been monitored by relaxometric studies, which indicate that even under conditions favourable to the formation of adducts with oxyanions, the mean relaxivity remains higher than those of most of the currently used commercial contrast agents except for the citrate. However, the measured relaxivity (r1=7.9 s(-1) mM(-1)) in a solution containing equimolar concentrations of [Gd(dpaa)(D2O)3] and citrate is still high. The interaction with albumin has been investigated by relaxometric and luminescence studies. Finally, a new versatile method to unravel the geometric and dynamic molecular factors that explain the high-field relaxivities has been developed. This approach uses a small, uncharged non-coordinating probe solute, the outer-sphere relaxivity of which mimics that of the water proton. Only a routine NMR spectrometer and simple mathematical analysis are required.