Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the cis-[Cr(1,10-phenanthroline) 2 (O 2 CO)] + ion studied by the u.v.-vis stopped flow method Abstract The cis-½Cr(phen) 2 ðO 2 COÞ þ ion was prepared through the displacement of two molecules of water from the cis-½Cr(phen) 2 ðOH 2 Þ 2 3þ by the bidentate carbonate anion. It underwent two-phase hydrolysis reactions under acidic conditions (0:1 < ½H þ < 2:7 M) at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. Via slow carbonato chelate ring opening (first step k slow 1 ) and a second fast decarboxylation (k fast 2 value). The first step was preceded by protonation of the coordinate bidentate carbonate ligand. The second step exhibited no pH dependence, while k slow 1 values increased with acid concentration that suggested the presence of both protonated and deprotonated reactant species. Based on these observations we have proposed a hydrolysis mechanism featuring H 2 O-induced ring-opening of the coordinate CO 2À 3 group in the first step ðk slow 1 Þ followed by loss of CO 2À 3 from two intermediates, ½Cr(phen) 2 ðO 2 COHÞ 2þ ðk slow 1 Þ and ½Cr(phen) 2 ðOH 2 ÞðO 2 COHÞ 2þ ðk fast 2 Þ.