[(cyclen)Co(OH2)2]3+ (1) hydrolyzes dimethyl phosphate with a second-order rate constant of 6.2 x 10(-7) M-1 s-1 at 60-degrees-C, pD 6.3 (cyclen: 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). In contrast, [(tetren)Co(OH2)]3+ (2) does not hydrolyze the diester to any observable extent, even when the reaction solution is heated to 100-degrees-C for 1 month (tetren: tetraethylenepentamine). The mechanism for 1-promoted hydrolysis of dimethyl phosphate involves joint Lewis acid activation and metal hydroxide activation.