Rapid phosphodiester hydrolysis catalyzed by lanthanum(III)

The catalytic hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) by lanthanum(III) ion in the presence of amino-alcoholic ligands: diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA), was investigated kinetically at 30 degrees C. The results indicated that the dinuclear dihydroxo complexes formed by lanthanum(III) ion with aminoalcoholic ligands might be the catalytically active species which catalyze the hydrolysis of BNPP to different extents and the catalytic mechanism was believed to involve the synergism of double Lewis acid activation of the substrate and an intramolecular nucleophilic attack of a bridging oxo ligand.