Mimicking the binding of glutamate to zinc in thermolysin and carboxypeptidase: the synthesis of [η3-(HCO2)BpBut,Pri]ZnCl by insertion of CO2 into a B–H bond of the bis(pyrazolyl)hydroborato zinc complex [BpBut,Pri]ZnCl

Insertion of CO2 into one of the B–H bonds of the bis(pyrazolyl)hydroborato complex [BpBut,Pri]ZnCl yields [η3-(HCO2)BpBut,Pri]ZnCl; the carboxylate group of the generated [NNO] donor ligand mimics the glutamate residues at the active sites of thermolysin and carboxypeptidase.