The role of the lone pair of electrons of Pb(II) in determining the coordination geometry is analyzed from crystallographic studies and ab initio molecular orbital optimizations. Of particular interest are factors that contribute to the disposition of ligands around the lead with geometries that are (1) holodirected, in which the bonds to ligand atoms are distributed throughout the surface of an encompassing globe, and (2) hemidirect ed, in which the bonds to ligand atoms are directed throughout only part of an encompassing globe, i.e., there is an identifiable void in the distribution of bonds to the ligands. The preferred coordination numbers for lead were found to be 4 for Pb(IV) and 4 and 6 for Pb(II). All Pb(IV) structures in the CSD have a holodirected coordination geometry. Pb(II) compounds are hemidirected for low coordination numbers (2−5) and holodirected for high coordination numbers (9, 10), but for intermediate coordination numbers (6−8), examples of either type of stereochemistry are found. Ab initio molecular orbital studies of gas-phase Pb(II) complexes show that a hemidirected geometry is favored if the ligand coordination number is low, the ligands are hard, and there are attractive interactions between the ligands. In such complexes, the lone pair orbital has p character and fewer electrons are transferred from the ligands to the bonding orbitals of Pb(II), resulting in bonds that are more ionic. A holodirected geometry is favored when the coordination number is high and the ligands are soft and bulky or show strong interligand repulsion. The lone pair orbital has little or no p character when the geometry is holodirected, and the bonds are more covalent than in the hemidirected structures. The energy cost of converting a hemidirected to a constrained holodirected structure is of the order 8−12 kcal/mol in the absence of strong interligand interactions.

Dedicated to Professor Jack D. Dunitz on the occasion of his 80th birthdayIn this paper, we report the results of a study involving the coordination geometries of Cu ; n m 4; n 0 ± 4) to provide data on the structural and energetic changes that occur in isolated complexes when the oxidation state of the Cu ion is changed from II to I while the coordination number is conserved. The use of such simple ligands in these calculations eliminates constraints on the geometric changes that may be imposed by more-complicated ligands.

Porphobilinogen synthase (PBGS) catalyzes the condensation of two identical substrate molecules, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), in an asymmetric manner to form porphobilinogen. E. coli PBGS is an homooctameric enzyme. The number of active sites is not clear, but each subunit binds one Zn II ion and one Mg II ion. Diffraction-quality crystals of native E. coli PBGS have been obtained, and unit-cell dimensions (a = 130.8, c = 144.0 ,~) are reported. These crystals diffract to about 3.0 ,~ resolution.

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