A theoretical study on the first protonation step of a series of metal complexes with the general formula {M(N[(CH2)nNH(2)] L(CH2)(m)NH2] [(CH2),NH2])(2+)} (n = m = p = 2, tren; n = 3, m = p = 2, pee; n = m = 3, p = 2, ppe; n = m = p = 3, tpt; n = 2, m = 3, p = 4, epb; and n = m = 3, p = 4, ppb; and M = Zn2+) was reported using both the Hartree-Fock and DFT (B3LYP) levels of theory. For the first time, two kinds of our recently published definitions for gas-phase proton affinities of polybasic ligands, proton microaffinity and proton macroaffinity, were extended to their metal complexes. There is a good correlation between the calculated gas-phase proton macroaffinities and the corresponding formation constants in solution.