Phosphate diester hydrolysis promoted by new Cu(II) alkoxide complexes

Cu(II) complexes of N3 donor pyridyl-amine ligands, bis-(2-pyridin-2-yl-ethyl)-amine (L1), which does not have an alcohol pendant, and 2-[bis-(2-pyridin-2-yl-ethyl)-amino]-ethanol (L2) and 3-[bis-(2-pyridin-2-yl-ethyl)-amino]-propan-1-ol (L3), both containing alcohol pendants, have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The reactivities of these Cu(II) complexes towards promoting bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) hydrolysis were investigated, and differences in their hydrolytic activities based on ligand design are explored.