Single-site hydrogen-bond modulation enhances catalytic ester hydrolysis in a Zn(II)-TPA scaffold
1Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Shinchang-myeon, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 31538, Republic of Korea. sslee0810@sch.ac.kr.
Abstract:
Zinc(II)-dependent metalloenzymes rely heavily on secondary-sphere interactions to modulate reactivity, inspiring the design of biomimetic Zn(II) catalysts that incorporate analogous features. Here, we introduce a hydroxymethyl-functionalized TPA ligand in which the pendant -CH2OH group acts as a precisely positioned secondary-sphere hydrogen-bond donor that does not bind Zn(II) directly but reshapes the local microenvironment. This modification facilitates hydrogen transfer, stabilizes the transition state, and enhances nucleophilic activation of the Zn-bound water molecule. Structural data support an intramolecular hydrogen-bonding network consistent with this mechanistic role. As a result, the engineered complex exhibits a dramatic rate enhancement-over an order of magnitude faster than the parent Zn(II)-TPA system-demonstrating the powerful catalytic impact of secondary-sphere engineering in artificial metalloenzymes.
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