Stabilization of a Zn(ii) hydrosulfido complex utilizing a hydrogen-bond accepting ligand

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has gained recent attention as an important biological analyte that interacts with bioinorganic targets. Despite this importance, stable H₂S or HS⁻ adducts of bioinorganic metal complexes remain rare due to the redox activity of sulfide and its propensity to form insoluble metal sulfides. We report here reversible coordination of HS⁻ to Zn(didpa)Cl₂, which is enabled by an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the zinc hydrosulfido product and the pendant tertiary amine of the didpa ligand.