Studies on the Kinetics and Mechanism of Hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl Picolinate (PNPP) by Unsymmetrical bis-Schiff Base Complexes with Aza-crown Ether or Morpholino Pendants

Abstract

Two novel unsymmetrical bis-Schiff base manganese(III) and cobalt(II) complexes with benzo-10-aza-crown ether pendants (MnL¹Cl, CoL¹), and their analogoues with morpholino pendants (MnL²Cl, CoL²), have been synthesized and employed as models to mimic hydrolase in p-nitrophenyl picolinate (PNPP). The kinetics and the mechanism of PNPP hydrolysis catalyzed by these complexes were investigated. A kinetic mathematical model of PNPP cleavage catalyzed by these complexes was proposed. The effects of the complexes structure and reactive temperature on the rate of catalytic PNPP hydrolysis have been also examined. The results showed that the rate for the catalytic PNPP hydrolysis increased following the increase in pH of the buffer solution; four complexes exhibited high activity in the catalytic PNPP hydrolysis. Compared with the crown-free analogoues MnL²Cl and CoL², the crowned Schiff base complexes (MnL¹Cl, CoL¹) exhibit a higher catalytic activity; the pseudo-first-order-rate (k_obs) for the PNPP hydrolysis catalyzed by the complex MnL¹Cl containing benzo-10-aza-crown ether is 1.04 × 10³ that of spontaneous hydrolysis of PNPP at pH = 7.00, [S] = 2.0×10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³.