Carbonyl oxygen placement

These 5- l bonds are largely responsible for the oval shape of uncomplexed valinomycin. Moreover, they direct two of the ester carbonyl oxygens toward the surface of the molecule (see Fig. 4). These might serve as initiators of complex formation by interaction with the metal ion prior to the placement of the latter in the ligand cavity. Based on this assumption. Smith and Duax developed a simplified model for the complexation process They proposed that the formation of the initial loose complex with the potassium ion is followed by cleavage of both the 5->l type hydrogen bonds in order to enable all the other ester carbonyl oxygens to interact with the cation and to replace the molecules of its solvation shell one after another. 

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