Self-Assembled Multivalent Ag-SR Coordination Polymers with Phosphatase-Like Activity

We show herein the phosphatase-like catalytic activity of coordination polymers obtained after adding Ag+-ions to thiols bearing hydrophobic alkyl chains terminated with a 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (TACN) group. The subsequent addition of Zn2+ -ions to the self-assembled polymers resulted in the formation of multivalent metal coordination polymers capable of catalysing the transphosphorylation of an RNA-model compound (2-hydroxypropyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate, HPNPP) with high reactivity. Analysis of a series of metal ions showed that the highest catalytic activity was obtained when Ag+-ions were used as the first metal ions to construct the backbone of the coordination polymer through interaction with the -SH group followed by Zn2+-ions as the second metal ions complexed by the TACN-macrocycle. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the catalytic activity could be modulated by changing the length of the hydrophobic alkyl chain.