Copper(II) and Cobalt(II) Dinuclear Complexes with Oxime‐based Ligand as Catalysts for the Hydrolysis of Phosphate Diester

Dinuclear copper(II) and cobalt(II) complexes were prepared and investigated with respect to their effects on hydrolysis of bis(4‐nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP). The kinetic data indicated that the mono‐deprotonated oxime group could act as an effective intramolecular nucleophile in the reaction. The higher reactivity of dinuclear copper(II) complex than that of its mononuclear analogues illustrated the probability of double Lewis acid activation by two metal centers in the former complex.