The zinc(II) complex (PATH)ZnOH, where PATH is an N
2S(thiolate) ligand, has been investigated for its ability topromote the hydrolysis of the phosphate triester tris(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (TNP). The hydrolysis of TNP wasexamined as a function of PATH-zinc(II) complex concentration, substrate concentration, and pH in a water/ethanol mixture (66:33 v/v) at 25
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C. The reaction is first order in both zinc(II) complex and substrate, and thesecond-order rate constants were derived from linear plots of the observed pseudo-first-order rate constants versuszinc complex concentration at different pH values. A pH-rate profile yielded a kinetic p
Ka of 8.52(5) for the zinc-bound water molecule and a pH-independent rate constant of 16.1(7) M
-1 s
-1. Temperature-dependent studiesshowed linear Eyring behavior, yielding the activation parameters
H![](/images/entities/thermod.gif)
= 36.9(1) k
J mol
-1 and
S![](/images/entities/thermod.gif)
= -106.7(4)J mol
-1 K
-1. Interpretation of the kinetic data leads to the conclusion that hydrolysis of TNP takes place througha hybrid mechanism, in which the metal center plays a dual role of providing a nucleophilic hydroxide and activatingthe substrate through a Lewis acid effect. The synthesis and structural characterization of the related nickel(II) andiron(II) complexes [(PATH)
2Ni
2]Br
2 (
2) and (PATH)
2Fe
2Cl
2 (
3) are also described. Taken together, these data suggesta possible explanation for the low reactivity of the zinc(II) form of peptide deformylase as compared to the iron(II)form.