The [Co(dmptacn)Cl]
2+ (dmptacn = 1,4-bis(py
ridylmethyl)-1,4,7-t
riazacyclononane) complex has been shown to bethe asym isome
r th
rough 1D and 2D NMR studies, its optical
resolution, and the single-c
rystal X-
ray st
ructu
re ofits pe
rchlo
rate salt. The kinetics of base-catalyzed hyd
rolysis establishes the usual [OH
-] dependence (
kOH =0.040 M
-1 s
-1, 25
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C,
I = 1.0 M, NaCl), but D-exchange expe
riments
reveal that substantial if not complete
reaction p
roceeds via the new pseudoaminate mechanism, i.e., via dep
rotonation at an
![](/images/gifcha<font color=)
rs/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-CH
2 cente
r rathe
r thanthe NH. The significant kinetic isotope effect (
kH/
kD = 2.1) is inte
rp
reted in te
rms of
rate-limiting dep
rotonationfollowed by
rep
rotonation of the conjugate base at a
rate competitive with loss of Cl
-. NMR and pola
rimet
ricstudies establish geomet
ric and optical
retention fo
r the hyd
rolysis
reaction and exclude even the t
ransient fo
rmationof a sym isome
r inte
rmediate.