Influence of the chelate ligand structure on the amide methanolysis reactivity of mononuclear zinc complexes

Zinc complexes of three new amide-appended ligands were prepared and isolated and the effect of replacement of the unsubstituted pyridyl groups in these complexes with various donors was studied. The results suggest that increased steric hindrance in the equatorial plane of the zinc cation slows or prevents the amide methanolysis reaction and the slower rate of amide methanolysis is due to a side reaction involving the formation of free ligand.