2-{[Bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]­methyl}-6-[(2-hydroxy­anilino)­methyl]-4-methyl­phenol: a novel binucleating asymmetric ligand as a precursor to synthetic models for metalloenzymes.

The title compound (H₂ L), C₂₇H₂₈N₄O₂, is an asymmetric binucleating ligand with well defined soft (N₃O-donor) and hard (NO₂-donor) sides. H₂ L was designed as a ligand for the preparation of heterodinuclear mixed-valence M^III/ M′^II complexes which are models for heterobimetallic active sites of enzymes, principally calcineurin. The mol­ecular structure of H₂ L shows a spatial pre-organization of the donor groups for coordination. This conformation is stabilized by bifurcated intra- and inter­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds involving both phenol groups. The inter­molecular hydrogen bonds link mol­ecules of H₂ L into chains running parallel to the crystallographic c axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]