Using liquid-state NMR spectroscopy we have estimated the proton-donating ability of Zn-bound water in organometallic complexes designed as models for the active site of the metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA). This ability is important for the understanding of the enzyme reaction mechanism. The desired information was obtained by (1)H and (15)N NMR at 180 K of solutions of [Tp(Ph,Me)ZnOH] [1, Tp(Ph,Me) = tris(2-methyl-4-phenylpyrazolyphydroborate] in CD(2)Cl(2), in the absence and presence of the proton donors (C(6)F(5))(3)BOH(2) [aquatris(pentafluorophenyOboron] and Col-H(+) (2,4,6-trimethylpyridine-H(+)). Col-H+ forms a strong OHN hydrogen bond with 1, where the proton is located closer to nitrogen than to oxygen. (C(6)F(5))(3)BOH(2), which exhibits a pK(a) value of 1 in water, also forms a strong hydrogen bond with 1, where the proton is shifted slightly across the hydrogen-bond center toward the Zn-bound oxygen. Finally, a complex between Col and (C(6)F(5))(3)BOH(2) was identified, exhibiting a zwitterionic OHN hydrogen bond, where H is entirely shifted to nitrogen. The comparison with complexes of Col with carboxylic acids studied previously suggests that, surprisingly, the Zn-bound water exhibits in an aprotic environment a similar proton-donating ability as a carboxylic acid characterized in water by a pK(a) of 2.2 +/- 0.6. This value is much smaller than the value of 9 found for [Zn(OH(2))(6)](2+) in water and those between 5 and 8 reported for different forms of CA. Implications for the biological function of CA are discussed.