Abstract
The conserved pterin dithiolene ligand that coordinates molybdenum (Mo) in the cofactor (Moco) of mononuclear Mo enzymes can exist in both a tricyclic pyranopterin dithiolene form and as a bicyclic pterin-dithiolene form as observed in protein crystal structures of several bacterial molybdoenzymes. Interconversion between the tricyclic and bicyclic forms via pyran scission and cyclization has been hypothesized to play a role in the catalytic mechanism of Moco. Therefore, understanding the interconversion between the tricyclic and bicyclic forms, a type of ring-chain tautomerism, is an important aspect of study to understand its role in catalysis. In this study, equilibrium constants (K(eq)) as well as enthalpy, entropy, and free energy values are obtained for pyran ring tautomerism exhibited by two Moco model complexes, namely, (Et4N)[Tp*Mo(O)(S2BMOPP)] (1) and (Et4N)[Tp*Mo(O)(S2PEOPP)] (2), as a solvent-dependent equilibrium process. Keq values obtained from (1)H NMR data in seven deuterated solvents show a correlation between solvent polarity and tautomer form, where solvents with higher polarity parameters favor the pyran form.