Macrocyclic Lanthanide Complexes as Artificial Nucleases and Ribonucleases: Effects of pH, Metal Ionic Radii, Number of Coordinated Water Molecules, Charge, and Concentrations of the Metal Complexes

Dynamics of Fe, Mn, and Al Liberated from Contaminated Soil by Low-Molecular-Weight Organic Acids and Their Effects on the Release of Soil-Borne Trace Elements

A 15-day batch experiment was conducted to investigate the behaviours of Fe, Mn, and Al oxides upon attack by three common low-molecular-weight organic acids, and their effects on liberation of trace elements from a multi-contaminated soil. While the capacity of malic acid to mobilize soil-borne Fe, Mn, and Al was weaker compared to citric and oxalic acids, a similar trend was observed, showing that the concentration of dissolved Fe, Mn, and Al increased with increasing duration of the experiment. Marked increase in metal concentrations only took place after 5 or 7 days of the experiment. For the same organic acid treatment, Fe, Mn, and Al all showed a very similar temporal variation pattern. The concentration of dissolved Fe, Mn, and Al was markedly controlled by the total Fe, Mn, and Al contained in the soil, respectively. It appears that manganese oxides were more reactive to the organic acids, as compared to their Fe and Al counterparts. However, when multiple organic acids were present, the soil-borne Fe, Mn, and Al were mobilized rapidly within the first 5 or 7 days of the experiment and then tended to decrease. The formation of insoluble Fe, Mn, and Al organic complexes tended to be enhanced due to co-existence of multiple organic acids, resulting in the re-immobilization of the dissolved Fe, Mn, and Al. The organic acid-driven dissolution of Fe, Mn, or Al had a major control on the mobilization of As, Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Cd that were bound to these oxides with a correlation coefficient being frequently greater than 0.9 for As, Cr, Zn, and Ni.

Nuclease Activity of Diaza-Crown Ether Complexes of Cerium(III) with Different Functional Groups as Side Arms

Cerium(III) complexes of two ligands of a diaza-crown ether with different functional groups as side arms were synthesised and characterised. The catalytic ability of the cerium(III) complexes for pUC19 DNA cleavage was investigated and compared using agarose gel electrophoresis. The results indicate that the catalytic activity of the complex CeL2 [L2 = 2,2′- (1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane-7,16-diyl) diacetamide] with two carbamoylmethyl groups is significantly higher than the complex CeL1 [L1 = 2,2′- (1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane-7,16-diyl) diethanol] with two hydroxyethyl groups under the same conditions. The optimum catalytic concentrations of CeL1 and CeL2 were 7.69 × 10−5 and 3.08 × 10−5 mol L−1 respectively and excessively high concentrations of the complexes can reduce their catalytic efficiency due to the formation of inactive μ-hydroxo dimers. The optimum catalytic acidities of CeL1 and CeL2 were pH 7.0 and 7.5 respectively and excessively high pH of the reaction system can reduce the catalytic efficiency of the complexes due to the formation of cerium(III) hydroxide. DNA cleavage promoted by the two complexes takes place via the same hydrolytic pathway and so the activity difference of the two complexes is attributed to the stability of the complexes, rather than the catalytic mechanism.

Dinuclear Lanthanide(III)-m-ODO2A-dimer Macrocyclic Complexes: Solution Speciation, DFT Calculations, Luminescence Properties, and Promoted Nitrophenyl-Phosphate Hydrolysis Rates

Potentiometric speciation studies, mass spectrometry, and DFT calculations helped to predict the various structural possibilities of the dinuclear trivalent lanthanide ion (Ln^III , Ln=La, Eu, Tb, Yb, Y) complexes of a novel macrocyclic ligand, m-ODO2A-dimer (H₄ L), to correlate with their luminescence properties and the promoted BNPP and HPNP phosphodiester bond hydrolysis reaction rates. The stability constants of the dinuclear Ln₂ (m-ODO2A-dimer) complexes and various hydrolytic species confirmed by mass spectrometry were determined. DFT calculations revealed that the Y₂ LH_-1 and the Y₂ LH_-2 species tended to form structures with the respective closed- and open-form conformations. Luminescence lifetime data for the heterodimetallic TbEuL system confirmed the fluorescence resonance energy transfer from the Tb^III to Eu^III ion. The internuclear distance R_TbEu values were estimated to be in the range of 9.4-11.3 Å (pH 6.7-10.6), which were comparable to those of the DFT calculated open-form conformations. Multiple linear regression analysis of the k_obs data was performed using the equation: k_obs,corr. =k_obs -k_obs,OH =kLn2LHM->1 [Ln₂ LH_-1 ]+kLn2LH-2 [Ln₂ LH_-2 ] for the observed Ln₂ L-promoted BNPP/HPNP hydrolysis reactions in solution pH from 7 to 10.5 (Ln=Eu, Yb). The results showed that the second-order rate constants for the Eu₂ LH_-2 and Yb₂ LH_-2 species were about 50-400 times more reactive than the structural analogous Zn₂ (m-12 N₃ O-dimer) system.

The time-resolved fluorescence study of kinetics and thermodynamics of Eu(iii) and Tb(iii) complexes with the DO2A macrocyclic ligand

The thermodynamics and kinetics of formation/dissociation of Eu(iii) and Tb(iii) with the H₂DO2A macrocyclic ligand were studied by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.

Catalytic Capacity of Diaza-Crown Ether Lanthanum Complexes with Varied Ligands for Phosphate Ester Hydrolysis in Different Media

Two diaza-crown ether compounds, 1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane (L0) and its derivative with double acetamide side arms 2,2'-(1,4,10,13-teteaoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane-7,16-diyl)diacetamide (L), and the corresponding two lanthanum complexes were synthesised and characterised. The catalytic capacity of the lanthanum complexes was investigated for the hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate ester (BNPP) in aqueous solution and in CTAB micelles. Kinetic studies show that the catalytic efficiency of complex LaL is obviously higher than that of complex LaL0, and introducing acetamide into the ring of the diaza-crown ether can improve the catalytic ability of the complexes for BNPP hydrolysis. A rate enhancement of about two times was observed for the complex–micelle in contrast with the complex–water system for BNPP catalytic hydrolysis. The optimal pH for the catalytic reaction in the two kinds of media systems show an approximately 0.4 pH unit difference. The two complexes possess higher thermostability, and are more stable in the micelle than in aqueous solution. Based on the results and their analysis, a catalytic mechanism with cooperation of acetamide is proposed.

Comparison of catalytic activities of new La (III) and Ce (III) complexes with different diaza-crown ether ligands for DNA hydrolytic cleavage

A new diaza-crown ether with double hydroxypropyl branches (L = 1,1'-(1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane-7,16-diyl)dipropan-2-ol) and its two lanthanide complexes (LaL and CeL) were synthesised and characterised. Their nuclease activities on pUC19 DNA cleavage were investigated using agarose gel electrophoresis, and pseudo-first-order rate constants kobs of 0.067 h–1 for LaL, 0.041 h–1 for CeL, 0.013 h–1 for LaL0, and 0.027 h–1 CeL0 were obtained (L0 = 1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane). The results indicated that the CeL complex was more efficient than the LaL complex for DNA cleavage at low concentrations, but the LaL complex was more efficient than the CeL complex at high concentrations. Moreover, kinetic studies demonstrated that introducing hydroxypropyl side arms in the ring of the diaza-crown ether can improve the catalytic ability of the complexes in DNA cleavage, which may be due to the hydroxypropyl side arms enhancing the bonding interaction between the complex and the DNA molecule by hydrogen bonding. A hydrolytic mechanism for DNA cleavage was demonstrated by applying several oxygen scavengers to the DNA catalytic cleavage. A proposed mechanism for the DNA cleavage shows that the hydroxypropyl side groups can recognise and bind the phosphodiester bond of DNA by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction.

DNA binding and cleavage properties of the Ce (III) complex of a diaza-crown ether

The hydrolytic cleavage of pUC19 DNA as promoted by the trivalent cerium complex (CeL) of diaza-crown ether ligand L (1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane) was examined in detail. The interaction of CeL with calf thymus DNA was investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, studies on the effects of pH, reaction time, and the concentration of CeL on cleavage of pUC19 DNA were carried out by gel electrophoresis. The results indicate that CeL can bind to DNA electrostatically with a binding constant of 2.18x104 M−1; CeL can promote the cleavage of plasmid pUC19 DNA from supercoiled to the nicked form under the appropriate conditions, and the optimal pH value is 7.54. The lack of effect of radical scavengers indicates that the cleavage involves hydrolytic cleavage.

DNA Cleavage Activity: Comparison of two Lanthanum Complexes Based on Aza-Crown Ethers with Different Numbers of Nitrogen Atoms

Based on the unique characteristics of lanthanum ion and aza-crown ethers, the lanthanum complexes of two aza-crown ether (L1: 1,10-Dioxa-4,7,13,16-tetraazacyclo-octadecane and L2: 1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane) were designed and synthesised. The interaction between these two complexes and DNA was measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis. Moreover, a series of experiments of cleavage of pUC19 DNA were conducted to illustrate the acidity, time and concentration effects. The results indicated that the two metal complexes can accelerate the breakage of DNA from its supercoiled form (form I) to the nicked form (form II) at near-physiological conditions, and the optimum acidity of DNA catalytic cleavage is pH=6.5 and pH=7.0 for LaL1 and LaL2, respectively. Furthermore, the LaL1 exhibited better cleavage activity than LaL2 under the same conditions, thus supercoiled DNA was thoroughly cleaved to the nicked form under the appropriate conditions. The hydrolytic mechanism was verified by applying several oxygen-scavengers to the DNA catalytic cleavage.

The interface makes a difference: lanthanide ion coated vesicles hydrolyze phosphodiesters

Lanthanide ions are strong Lewis acids. Their complexation to a variety of ligands can further enhance their Lewis acidity allowing the hydrolysis of phosphoesters and even DNA. We show that the interaction of lanthanide ions with vesicles from zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine lipids gives supramolecular structures in which the metal ion is loosely coordinated to the surface. This assembly provides a high density of Lewis-acidic metal centres, which hydrolyze phosphodiesters with enhanced rates.

Development of the aza-crown ether metal complexes as artificial hydrolase

Hydrolases play a crucial role in the biochemical process, which can catalyze the hydrolysis of various compounds like carboxylic esters, phosphoesters, amides, nucleic acids, peptides, and so on. The design of artificial hydrolases has attracted extensive attention due to their scientific significance and potential applications in the field of gene medicine and molecular biology. Numerous macrocyclic metal complexes have been used as artificial hydrolase in the catalytic hydrolysis of the organic substrate. Aza-crown ether for this comment is a special class of the macrocyclic ligand containing both the nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms in the ring. The studies showed that the aza-crown complexes exhibited high activity of hydrolytic enzyme. However, the aza-crown ether metal complex as artificial hydrolase is still very limited because of its difficulty in synthesis. This review summarizes the development of the aza-crown ether metal complexes as the artificial hydrolase, including the synthesis and catalysis of the transition metal complexes and lanthanide metal complexes of aza-crown ethers. The purpose of this review is to highlight: (1) the relationship between the structure and hydrolytic activity of synthetic hydrolase; (2) the synergistic effect of metal sites and ligands in the course of organic compound hydrolysis; and (3) the design strategies of the aza-crown ethers as hydrolase.

Luminescent europium and terbium complexes of dipyridoquinoxaline and dipyridophenazine ligands as photosensitizing antennae: structures and biological perspectives

Luminescent europium and terbium complexes of quinoxaline and phenazine ligands were studied for their structures, luminescence properties, interaction with DNA, and photo-induced DNA cleavage activity.

Nucleic Acid and Phosphoester Hydrolytic Cleavage Catalysed by Aza-Crown Ether Metal Complexes as Synthetic Nucleases

Aza-crown ethers are ligands in which the oxygen atoms are replaced by nitrogen atoms in the crown ether ring systems. This type of ligand possesses specific complexation with metal ions, such as those of transition-metals, rare earths, alkali metals and alkaline earths, which form metal complexes whose structures are similar to those of some biological enzymes. In recent decades, research on aza-crown ethers and their metal complexes as mimics of nucleases in hydrolysing nucleic acids has attracted increasing attention. These studies illuminate the mechanism of nucleic acid hydrolytic cleavage as catalysed by natural nucleases. In order to assist the design and synthesis of highly active, selective and stable mimic nucleases, this paper reviews recent progress in the investigation of aza-crown ether metal complexes as mimic nucleases, including: the relationship between the structures and activities of synthetic metallonucleases; multicentre synergistic catalysis of metal ions in multinuclear complexes; bifunctional cooperative catalysis of the branches and ions in the complexes; and especially, the structural characteristic and catalytic mechanism of aza-crown ether metal complexes as mimic nucleases.

Dissociation kinetics of macrocyclic trivalent lanthanide complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-diacetic acid (DO2A)

The [H(+)]-catalyzed dissociation rate constants of several trivalent lanthanide (Ln) complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-diacetic acid (LnDO2A(+), Ln = La, Pr, Eu, Er and Lu) have been determined in two pH ranges: 3.73-5.11 and 1.75-2.65 at four different temperatures (19-41.0 °C) in aqueous media at a constant ionic strength of 0.1 mol dm(-3) (LiClO(4)). For the study in the higher pH range, i.e. pH 3.73-5.11, copper(II) ion was used as the scavenger for the free ligand DO2A in acetate/acetic acid buffer medium. The rates of Ln(III) complex dissociation have been found to be independent of [Cu(2+)] and all the Ln(III) complexes studied show [H(+)]-dependence at low acid concentrations but become [H(+)]-independent at high acid concentrations. Influence of the acetate ion content in the buffer on the dissociation rate has also been investigated and all the complexes exhibit a first-order dependence on [Acetate]. The dissociation reactions follow the rate law: k(obs) = k(Ac)[Acetate] + K'k(lim)[H(+)]/(1 + K'[H(+)]) where k(AC) is the dissociation rate constant for the [Acetate]-dependent pathway, k(lim) is the limiting rate constant, and K' is the equilibrium constant for the reaction LnDO2A(+) + H(+) ⇔ LnDO2AH(2+). In the lower pH range, i.e. pH 1.75-2.65, the dye indicator, cresol red, was used to monitor the dissociation rate, and all the Ln(III) complexes also show [H(+)]-dependence dissociation pathways but without the rate saturation observed at higher pH range. The dissociation reactions follow the simple rate law: k(obs) = k(H)[H(+)], where k(H) is the dissociation rate constant for the pathway involving monoprotonated species. The absence of an [H(+)]-independent pathway in both pH ranges indicates that LnDO2A(+) complexes are kinetically rather inert. The obtained k(AC) values follow the order: LaDO2A(+) > PrDO2A(+) > EuDO2A(+) > ErDO2A(+) > LuDO2A(+), whereas the k(lim) and k(H) values follow the order: LaDO2A(+) > PrDO2A(+) > ErDO2A(+) > EuDO2A(+) > LuDO2A(+), mostly consistent with their thermodynamic stability order, i.e. the more thermodynamically stable the more kinetically inert. In both pH ranges, activation parameters, ΔH*, ΔS* and ΔG*, for both acetate-dependent and proton-catalyzed dissociation pathways have been obtained for most of the La(III), Pr(III), Eu(III), Er(III) and Lu(III) complexes, from the temperature dependence measurements of the rate constants in the 19-41 °C range. An isokinetic (linear) relationship is found between ΔH* and ΔS* values, which supports a common reaction mechanism.

The Utility of 2,2′-Bipyrimidine in Lanthanide Chemistry: From Materials Synthesis to Structural and Physical Properties

This paper reviews the recent investigations undertaken on the use of 2,2′-bipyrimidine (bpm) as a ligand for designing molecular complexes as well as polymeric lanthanide materials. A special emphasis is put on the ability of this polydentate neutral ligand to yield compounds of various dimensionalities, to act as a connector between these large ions, and influence their emissive and magnetic properties. This ligand can adopt a terminal or a bridging coordination mode with lanthanide ions, thus generating a wealth of frameworks of various topologies with the 4f elements. The main focus of this review is to show the originality brought by bpm in lanthanide structural chemistry and solid-state photophysics and magnetism.

Enantiomeric self-recognition in homo- and heterodinuclear macrocyclic lanthanide(III) complexes

The controlled formation of lanthanide(III) dinuclear μ-hydroxo-bridged [Ln(2)L(2)(μ-OH)(2)X(2)](n+) complexes (where X = H(2)O, NO(3)(-), or Cl(-)) of the enantiopure chiral macrocycle L is reported. The (1)H and (13)C NMR resonances of these complexes have been assigned on the basis of COSY, NOESY, TOCSY, and HMQC spectra. The observed NOE connectivities confirm that the dimeric solid-state structure is retained in solution. The enantiomeric nature of the obtained chiral complexes and binding of hydroxide anions are reflected in their CD spectra. The formation of the dimeric complexes is accompanied by a complete enantiomeric self-recognition of the chiral macrocyclic units. The reaction of NaOH with a mixture of two different mononuclear lanthanide(III) complexes, [Ln(1)L](3+) and [Ln(2)L](3+), results in formation of the heterodinuclear [Ln(1)Ln(2)L(2)(μ-OH)(2)X(2)](n+) complexes as well as the corresponding homodinuclear complexes. The formation of the heterodinuclear complex is directly confirmed by the NOESY spectra of [EuLuL(2)(μ-OH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](4+), which reveal close contacts between the macrocyclic unit containing the Eu(III) ion and the macrocyclic unit containing the Lu(III) ion. While the relative amounts of homo- and heterodinuclear complexes are statistical for the two lanthanide(III) ions of similar radii, a clear preference for the formation of heterodinuclear species is observed when the two mononuclear complexes contain lanthanide(III) ions of markedly different sizes, e.g., La(III) and Yb(III). The formation of heterodinuclear complexes is accompanied by the self-sorting of the chiral macrocyclic units based on their chirality. The reactions of NaOH with a pair of homochiral or racemic mononuclear complexes, [Ln(1)L(RRRR)](3+)/[Ln(2)L(RRRR)](3+), [Ln(1)L(SSSS)](3+)/[Ln(2)L(SSSS)](3+), or [Ln(1)L(rac)](3+)/[Ln(2)L(rac)](3+), results in mixtures of homochiral, homodinuclear and homochiral, heterodinuclear complexes. On the contrary, no heterochiral, heterodinuclear complexes [Ln(1)L(RRRR)Ln(2)L(SSSS)(μ-OH)(2)X(2)](n+) are formed in the reactions of two different mononuclear complexes of opposite chirality.

New macrocyclic terbium(III) complex for use in RNA footprinting experiments

Reaction of terbium triflate with a heptadentate ligand derivative of cyclen, L1 = 2-[7-ethyl-4,10-bis(isopropylcarbamoylmethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododec-1-yl]-N-isopropyl-acetamide, produced a new synthetic ribonuclease, [Tb(L1)(OTf)(OH(2))](OTf)(2).MeCN (C1). X-ray crystal structure analysis indicates that the terbium(III) center in C1 is 9-coordinate, with a capped square-antiprism geometry. While the terbium(III) center is tightly bound by the L1 ligand, two of the coordination sites are occupied by labile water and triflate ligands. In water, the triflate ligand is likely to be displaced, forming [Tb(L1)(OH(2))(2)](3+), which is able to effectively promote RNA cleavage. This complex greatly accelerates the rate of intramolecular transesterification of an activated model RNA phosphodiester, uridine-3'-p-nitrophenylphosphate (UpNP), with k(obs) = 5.5(1) x 10(-2) s(-1) at 21 degrees C and pH 7.5, corresponding to an apparent second-order rate constant of 277(5) M(-1) s(-1). By contrast, the analogous complex of an octadentate derivative of cyclen featuring only a single labile coordination site, [Tb(L2)(OH(2))](OTf)(3) (C2), where L2 = 2-[4,7,10-tris(isopropylcarbamoylmethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododec-1-yl]-N-isopropyl-acetamide, is inactive. [Tb(L1)(OH(2))(2)](3+) is also capable of hydrolyzing short transcripts of the HIV-1 transactivation response (TAR) element, HIV-1 dimerization initiation site (DIS) and ribosomal A-site, as well as formyl methionine tRNA (tRNA(fMet)), albeit at a considerably slower rate than UpNP transesterification (k(obs) = 2.78(8) x 10(-5) s(-1) for TAR cleavage at 37 degrees C, pH 6.5, corresponding to an apparent second-order rate constant of 0.56(2) M(-1)s(-1)). Cleavage is concentrated at the single-stranded "bulge" regions of these RNA motifs. Exploiting this selectivity, [Tb(L1)(OH(2))(2)](3+) was successfully employed in footprinting experiments, in which binding of the Tat peptide and neomycin B to the bulge region of the TAR stem-loop was confirmed.

Phosphate Ester Hydrolysis by Hydroxo Complexes of Trivalent Lanthanides Stabilized by 4-Imidazolecarboxylate

The anion of 4-imidazolecarboxylic acid (HL) stabilizes hydroxo complexes of trivalent lanthanides of the type ML(OH)+ (M = La, Pr) and M2L(n)(OH)(6-n) (M = La, n = 2; M = Pr, n = 2, 3; M = Nd, Eu, Dy, n = 1-3). Compositions and stability constants of the complexes have been determined by potentiometric titrations. Spectrophotometric and (1)H NMR titrations with Nd(III) support the reaction model for the formation of hydroxo complexes proposed on the basis of potentiometric results. Kinetics of the hydrolysis of two phosphate diesters, bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP) and 2-hydroxypropyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNPP), and a triester, 4-nitrophenyl diphenyl phosphate (NPDPP), in the presence of hydroxo complexes of five lanthanides were studied as a function of pH and metal and ligand concentrations. With all lanthanides and all substrates, complexes with the smallest n, that is M2L2(OH)4 for La and Pr and M2L(OH)5 for Nd, Eu, and Dy, exhibited the highest catalytic activity. Strong inhibitory effects by simple anions (Cl-, NO3-, (EtO)2PO2-, AcO-) were observed indicating high affinity of neutral hydroxo complexes toward anionic species. The catalytic activity decreased in the order La > Pr > Nd > Eu > Dy for both diester substrates and was practically independent of the nature of cation for a triester substrate. The efficiency of catalysis, expressed as the ratio of the second-order rate constant for the ester cleavage by the hydroxo complex to the second-order rate constant for the alkaline hydrolysis of the respective substrate, varied from ca. 1 for NPDPP to 10(2) for HPNPP and to 10(5) for BNPP. The proposed mechanism of catalytic hydrolysis involves reversible bridging complexation of a phosphodiester to the binuclear active species followed by attack on the phosphoryl group by bridging hydroxide (BNPP) or by the alkoxide group of the deprotonated substrate (HPNPP).

Di- and Trinuclear Complexes Derived from Hexakis(2-pyridyloxy)cyclotriphosphazene. Unusual P−O Bond Cleavage in the Formation of [{(L‘CuCl)2(Co(NO3)}Cl] (L‘ = N3P3(OC5H4N)5(O))

Hexakis(2-pyridyloxy)cyclotriphosphazene (L) is an efficient multisite coordination ligand which binds with transition metal ions to produce dinuclear (homo- and heterometallic) complexes [L(CuCl)(CoCl3)], [L(CuCl)(ZnCl3)], [L(CoCl)(ZnCl3)], and [L(ZnCl2)2]. In these dinuclear derivatives the cyclophosphazene ligand utilizes from five to six nitrogen coordination sites out of the maximum of nine available sites. Further, the spacer oxygen that separates the pyridyl moiety from the cyclophosphazene ring ensures minimum steric strain to the cyclophosphazene ring upon coordination. This is reflected in the near planarity of the cyclophosphazene ring in all the dinuclear derivatives. In the dinuclear heterobimetallic derivatives one of the metal ions [Cu(II) or Co(II)] is hexacoordinate and is bound by the cyclophosphazene in a eta5-gem-N5 mode. The other metal ion in these heterobimetallic derivatives [Co(II) or Zn(II)] is tetracoordinate and is bound in an eta(1)-N(1) fashion. In the homobimetallic derivative, [L(ZnCl2)2], one of the zinc ions is five-coordinate (eta3-nongem-N3), while the other zinc ion is tetracoordinate(eta2-gem-N2). The reaction of L with CuCl2 followed by Co(NO3)2.6H2O yields a trinuclear heterobimetallic complex [{(L'CuCl)2Co(NO3)}Cl] [L' = N3P3(OC5H4N)5(O)]. In the formation of this compound an unusual P-O bond cleavage involving one of the phosphorus-pyridyloxy bonds is observed. The molecular structure of [{(L'CuCl)2Co(NO3)}Cl] [L' = N3P3(OC5H4N)5(O)] reveals that each of the two the P-O-cleaved L' ligands is involved in binding to Cu(II) to generate the motif L'CuCl. Two such units are bridged by a Co(II) ion. The coordination environment around the bridging Co(II) ion contains four oxygen (two P-O units, one chelating nitrate) and two nitrogen atoms (pyridyloxy nitrogens).