A series of half-sandwich copper(II) complexes [Tp(Ph)]CuX ([Tp(Ph)] = hydrotris(3-phenyl-pyrazolyl) borate; X- = OH-(1), N-3(-) (2), NCS- (3)) have been synthesized as models for carbonic anhydrase. The structure of 3 was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystals of 3 (C37H30BCuN9S) are triclinic, space group P (1) over bar with a = 11.997(3) Angstrom, b = 12.116(3) Angstrom, c = 13.384(4) Angstrom, alpha = 81.088(5)degrees, beta = 79.289(6)degrees, gamma = 68.668(5)degrees, V = 1772.4(8) Angstrom(3), and Z = 2. The dehydration kinetic measurements of HCO3- are performed by the stopped-flow techniques at pH < 7.9. The apparent dehydration rate constant k(obs)(d) Varies linearly with total Cu(II) concentration, and the catalytic activity of the model complexes decreases in the order 1 > 2 > 3. The catalytic activity decreases with increasing pH indicating that the aqua model complex must be the reactive catalytic species in the catalyzed dehydration reaction and the rate-determining step is the substitution of the labile water molecule by HCO3-. The k(obs)(d) values increase with increasing reaction temperature, and the apparent activation energies of the model complexes with inhibitors are remarkably higher than that of the complex with no inhibitors, this being the origin of inhibition. The large negative entropy of activation also indicates an associative mode of activation in the rate-determining step. The inhibition ability of the inhibitor NCS- is stronger than that of the inhibitor N-3(-), which can be rationalized by the decrease in effective atomic charges of the Cu(II) ions as revealed by the theoretical calculations.