Pentaethylenehexamine is a hexadentate ligand, owing to the Lewis basicity of the six amine groups.

[2] Commercial supplies of pentaethylenehexamine contain, in addition to the linear form, branched and cyclic polyamines.

[2] Pentaethylenehexamine undergoes an Eschweiler–Clarke reaction with formaldehyde and formic acid to substitute all of the amine hydrogen atoms with methyl groups, giving octamethylpentaethylenehexamine (OMPEHA).

[7] It can coordinate cobalt,[8] nickel,[9] copper, zinc,[10] cadmium[5] lanthanum,[11] neodymium,[3] europium, samarium,[12] lead,[10] thorium, or uranium.

[14] Pentaethylenehexamine has been investigated as a component in carbon dioxide capture, including direct from the air for conversion to methanol.