A novel dinuclear zinc complex containing both imidazole and carboxylate groups as a possible model for serine/threonine protein phosphatase-1

A bis(μ-carboxylato-O)-bridged dinuclear zinc(II) complex of [(4-methyl-5-imidazol-1-yl)methylidene]-β-alanine has been synthesized and structurally characterized, in which the μ-carboxylato-O bridge and the metal–metal separation (3.263(4) Å) resemble those in serine/threonine protein phosphatase-1 (PP1).