The molecular recognition of two simple phosphate diesters by a terpyridine-copper (TCu) complex was studied by X-ray crystallography and potentiometry. Molecular recognition of the substrate is the first step in a hydrolysis reaction. The two phosphate diesters bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNP) and diphenyl phosphate (DPP) coordinate axially to an approximate square pyramidal copper complex where a chloride and three terpyridine nitrogens form the corners of the base. The coordination geometries are almost identical. The molecular recognition constants for the formation of TCu-BNP and TCu-DPP were measured potentiometrically and have log values of 1.2 and 2.5, respectively. By a significant margin, the TCu complex favors DPP over BNP in solution: A pH versus rate constant profile shows that TCu-OH can hydrolyze BNP but not DPP. Activated and unactivated phosphate diesters are typically hydrolyzed by similar mechanisms. In this study the difference in reactivity lies outside the process of molecular recognition. Activating (electron-withdrawing) effect of the p-nitro groups on the nature of the leaving groups must play an important role in the susceptibility of phosphate diesters to hydrolysis.