The copper(
II) complexes[(
Ln)Cu(NO
3)
4·2(H
2O)](
n = 1:
1,
n = 2:
2) of the ammon
ium-funct
ional
izedl
igands[6,6'-(Me
2HNCH
2C
images/ent
it
ies/tbd1.g
if">C)
2bpy]
2+(
L1) and[6,6'-(Me
3NCH
2C
images/ent
it
ies/tbd1.g
if">C)
2bpy]
2+(
L2) were prepared. Hydrolys
isofthe act
ivated phosphod
iester b
is(
p-n
itrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) by these complexes
in ethanol-water 19:1 at20
images/ent
it
ies/deg.g
if">C was
invest
igated. The rate constants for cleavage of thebound phosphod
iester at pH 6.6 are
kcat =4.4(±0.4) ×10
-3 s
-1 for(
L1)Cu and
kcat = 4(±1) ×10
-6 s
-1 for(
L2)Cu.(
L1)Cu accelerateshydrolys
is of BNPP 4 × 10
7-foldand
is 1000 t
imes more react
ive than(
L2)Cu. Th
is suggests thatthe h
igh react
iv
ity of (
L1)Cu
isrelated to the
interact
ion of the ac
id
ic -NMe
2H
+ groupw
ith the phosphod
iester substrate. B
ifunct
ional b
ind
ing of aphosphateester by metal coord
inat
ion and hydrogen bond
ing w
ith one ammon
iumgroup
is observed
in the crystallograph
icallycharacter
ized complex[(
L1)
2Cu
2(1,3-
images/ent
it
ies/mgr.g
if">-O
3POPh)
2(OH
2)
2](NO
3)
4(
3). A plaus
ible mechan
ism of BNPP cleavageby(
L1)Cu
includes metal-hydrox
ideattack to the phosphod
iester wh
ich
is doubly act
ivated by coord
inat
iveand hydrogenbond
ing. The copper(II) complex of
L1 represents a s
imple model for theeff
ic
ient cooperat
iv
ity of metal
ions andNH-ac
id
ic am
ino ac
id s
ide cha
ins (Lys-ammon
ium, Arg-guan
id
in
ium,H
is-
im
idazol
ium)
in enzymes that catalyzethe cleavage of phosphate d
i- and monoesters.