Metal ions, role

Keys to metal ion roles are their high charge (and surface charge density), capacity to bind organic entities through strong coordinate bonds, and ability in many cases to vary oxidation states. We shall return to look at metals in biological environments in more detail in Chapter 8. 

Perhaps the most extensively studied catalytic reaction in acpreous solutions is the metal-ion catalysed hydrolysis of carboxylate esters, phosphate esters , phosphate diesters, amides and nittiles". Inspired by hydrolytic metalloenzymes, a multitude of different metal-ion complexes have been prepared and analysed with respect to their hydrolytic activity. Unfortunately, the exact mechanism by which these complexes operate is not completely clarified. The most important role of the catalyst is coordination of a hydroxide ion that is acting as a nucleophile. The extent of activation of tire substrate througji coordination to the Lewis-acidic metal centre is still unclear and probably varies from one substrate to another. For monodentate substrates this interaction is not very efficient. Only a few quantitative studies have been published. Chan et al. reported an equilibrium constant for coordination of the amide carbonyl group of... 

Inspired by the many hydrolytically-active metallo enzymes encountered in nature, extensive studies have been performed on so-called metallo micelles. These investigations usually focus on mixed micelles of a common surfactant together with a special chelating surfactant that exhibits a high affinity for transition-metal ions. These aggregates can have remarkable catalytic effects on the hydrolysis of activated carboxylic acid esters, phosphate esters and amides. In these reactions the exact role of the metal ion is not clear and may vary from one system to another. However, there are strong indications that the major function of the metal ion is the coordination of hydroxide anion in the Stem region of the micelle where it is in the proximity of the micelle-bound substrate. The first report of catalysis of a hydrolysis reaction by me tall omi cell es stems from 1978. In the years that... 

Many enzymes require metal ions for maximal activity. If the enzyme binds the metal very tightly or requires the metal ion to maintain its stable, native state, it is referred to as a metalloenzyme. Enzymes that bind metal ions more weakly, perhaps only during the catalytic cycle, are referred to as metal activated. One role for metals in metal-activated enzymes and metalloenzymes is to act as electrophilic catalysts, stabilizing the increased electron density or negative charge that can develop during reactions. Among the enzymes that function in this... 

H. SiGEL and A. Sigel (eds). Metal Ions in Biological Systems, Vol. 24, Aluminium and its Role in Biology, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1988, 440 pp. 

In contrast to 1, isomeric p-nitrophenyl nicotinate shows almost no catalysis. Thus, it is clear that substrate coordination to the metal ion complex plays the critical role for an enormous rate enhancement. The lipophilic ester (R = C5Hn) also undergoes a large rate enhancement indicating the importance of substrate binding into the micellar phase by hydrophobic interaction. A large rate enhancement can also be seen in lipophilic esters which lack the metal coordination site as given below with the enantioselective micellar reactions (Table 9, 10). 

Malek et al.49-190 often use.the terms metal ion catalysis and consider that metal ions play a very important role. According to our knowledge of esterification kinetics, this is only an assumption although these authors provided interesting arguments on esterification kinetics49 ... 

Coordination chemistry of certain transition metal ions the role of the solvent. V. Gutmann, Coord. Chem. Rev., 1967, 2,239-256 (39). 

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