Remote substituents influence both the thermodynamics and kinetics of zinc binding to tris-pyridyl methanol derivatives

[reaction: see text] Three families of tris-pyridyl methanol ligands were synthesized. An analysis of the Zn(2+) binding properties of the ligands revealed that both steric and electronic properties of the pyridine substituents, as well as the nature of the group on the tertiary alcohol oxygen, control the thermodynamics and kinetics of complex formation.