Zinc complex chemistry of N,N,O ligands providing a hydrophobic cavity

Three new highly substituted bis(2-picolyl)(2-hydroxybenzyl)amine ligands were synthesized, and their biomimetic zinc complex chemistry was explored. They have tert-butyl substituents at the 3-and 5-positions of their phenyl rings, and they bear one phenyl group (HL2), two methyl groups (HL3), or two phenyl groups (HL4) at the 6-positions of their pyridyl rings. Their reactions with hydrated zinc perchlorate yield three distinctively different complex types. L2 forms a trigonal-bipyramidal aqua complex, and L3, a square-pyramidal aqua complex. The substituents on L4 leave no room for a water ligand, and the resulting zinc complex is trigonal-monopyramidal with a vacant coordination site. The water ligands on the L2Zn and L3Zn units can be replaced by anionic halide, thiocyanate, p-nitrophenolate, benzoate, and organophosphate as well as uncharged pyridine ligands. The L4Zn unit forms labile halide, p-nitrophenolate, and pyridine complexes. Triethylamine converts the aqua complexes to the labile hydroxides L2Zn-OH and L3Zn-OH, and in polar media [L3Zn-OH2]+ seems to be in equilibrium with L3Zn-OH. The hydroxides, but not the water complexes, effect the hydrolytic cleavage of tris(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate to bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate. The kinetic investigation of the cleavage reactions has shown them to be second-order reactions, thereby supporting the proposed four-center mechanism.