Replacing the central cobalt ion of vitamin B 12 by other metals has been al ong-held aspiration within the B 12field. Herein, we describe the synthesis from hydrogenobyric acid of zincobyric acid (Znby)a nd zincobalamin (Znbl), the Zn-analogues of the natural cobalt-corrins cobyric acid and vitamin B 12 ,r espectively.T he solution structures of Znby and Znbl were studied by NMR-spectroscopy. Single crystals of Znby were produced, providing the first X-ray crystallographic structure of az inc corrin. The structures of Znby and of computationally generated Znbl were found to resemble the corresponding Co II -corrins,m aking such Zn-corrins potentially useful for investigations of B 12 -dependent processes.The singlet excited state of Znby had as hort life-time,l imited by rapid intersystem crossing to the triplet state. Znby allowed the unprecedented observation of ac orrin triplet (E T = 190 kJ mol À1 )and was found to be an excellent photo-sensitizerThe biological use of cobalt as the specific transition metal center in natural B 12 -cofactors and the interaction between cobalt and the corrin ligand raise intriguing questions concerning the origins of its natural selection.[1] Engineered B 12 -biosynthesis [2] has opened up ap reparative route to hydrogenobyric acid (Hby), [3] the metal-free corrin ligand of vitamin B 12 ,p roviding an excellent opportunity for the synthesis of transition-metal analogues of the natural cobaltcorrinoids. [4] Zn II -analogues of natural corrinoids have hardly been explored [4b] but are attractive,asZn-and low-spin Co IIcenters exhibit similar structural properties in small complexes and in metalloproteins. [5] Fischli and Eschenmoser reported the synthesis and characterization of the first Zn-corrin (ZnCor), when exploring the synthesis and chemistry of corrins in model studies towards the total synthesis of vitamin B 12 . [4a, 6] Indeed, in the Eschenmoser [7] and Woodward labs [8] a5 ,15-nor-zincobyrinate was an intermediate of the B 12 -synthesis.U V/Visspectroscopically characterized samples of zincobalamin (Znbl)a nd zincobyric acid (Znby), the Zn-analogues of vitamin B 12 (CNCbl)and cobyric acid (Cby)(Scheme 1), were first reported by Koppenhagen and Pfiffner. [9] Herein, we delineate an effective synthesis of Znby and of Znbl,s tarting from crystalline Hby, [3] describe the pertinent spectroscopic and structural properties of these luminescent Scheme 1. Formulae of metal-free, cobalt-and zinc-corrinoids. Left: General formula of the cobalamins vitamin B 12 (R = CN, CNCbl), coenzyme B 12 (R = 5'-deoxyadenosyl, AdoCbl), cob(II)alamin (R = e À , Cbl II )C enter:F ormulae of hydrogenobyric acid (Hby), Co II -cobyric acid (Cby II )and zincobyrate (Znby), where the axial solvent ligands for both the Zn II and Co II have been omitted. Right:formula of zincobalamin (Znbl)i nits "base-on"f orm.