Water as a hydrogen bonding bridge between a phenol and imidazole. A simple model for water binding in enzymes.

The X-ray crystal structure of the mono-hydrate of 2,2-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-4-methylphenol has been determined. Three hydrogen bonds hold water very tightly in the crystal, as determined by deuterium solid-state NMR. The hydrogen bond between the phenolic hydroxyl and water appears to have about the same strength as the direct hydrogen bond to imidazole, suggesting that the structure can be a good model for hydrogen bonds that are mediated by a water molecule in enzymes.