Ph.D. / Compounds, 2,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (L1) and 2,6-bis(3,5-ditertbutylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (L2) were prepared by phase transfer alkylation of 2,6-bis(bromomethyl)pyridine with two mole equivalents of the appropriate pyrazole. Ligands L1 and L2 reacted with either [PdCl2(NCMe)2] or [PdClMe(COD)] to form mononuclear palladium complexes [(PdCl2(L1)] (1), [(PdClMe(L1)] (2), [(PdCl2(L2)] (3), [(PdClMe(L2)] (4). All new compounds prepared were characterised by a combination of 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy and microanalyses. The coordination of L2 in a bidentate fashion through the pyridine nitrogen atom and one pyrazolyl nitrogen atom has been confirmed by single crystal X-ray crystallography of complex 3. Reactions of 1, 2 and 3 with the halide abstractor NaBAr4 (Ar = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3) led to the formation of the stable tridentate cationic species [(PdCl(L1)]BAr4 (5), [(PdMe(L1)]BAr4 (6) and [(PdCl(L2)]BAr4 (7) respectively. Tridentate coordination of L1 and L2 in the cationic complexes has also been confirmed by single X-ray crystallography of complexes 5 and 6. The analogous carbonyl linker cationic species, [Pd{(3,5-Me2pz-CO)2-py}Cl]+ (9) and [Pd{(3,5-tBu2pz-CO)2-py}Cl]+ (10), prepared by halide abstraction from [Pd{(3,5-Me2pz-CO)2-py}Cl2] and [Pd{(3,5-tBu2pz-CO)2-py}Cl2] with NaBAr4, were however less stable. While cationic complexes 5-7 showed indefinite stability in solution, 9 and 10 had t1/2 of 14 and 2 days respectively. Attempts to crystallise 1 and 3 from the mother liquor resulted in the isolation of the salts [PdCl(L1)]2[Pd2Cl6] (11) and [PdCl(L2)]2[Pd2Cl6] (12). Although when complexes 1-4 xviii were reacted with modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) or NaBAr4, no active catalysts for ethylene oligomerisation or polymerisation were formed, activation with silver triflate (AgOTf) produced active catalysts that oligomerised and polymerised phenylacetylene to a mixture of cis-transoidal and trans-cisoidal polyphenylacetylene. Compounds 2-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (L3) and 2-(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (L4) were prepared by phase transfer alkylation of 2-picolylchloride hydrochloride with one mole equivalent of the appropriate pyrazole. Compounds 2-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-pyrazol-1-ylmethyl)-6-(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-ylmethyl)-pyridine (L5) and 2-(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-ylmethyl)-6-phenoxymethyl-pyridine (L6) were isolated in good yields by reacting (2-chloromethyl-6-3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine with an equivalent amount of potassium salt of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolate and potassium phenolate respectively. L3-L6 react with either [Pd(NCMe)2Cl2] or [PdClMe(COD)] to give mononuclear palladium complexes 13-18 of the general formulae [PdCl2(L)] or [PdClMe(L)] where L = is the bidentate ligands L3, L4, L5 and L6 respectively. Single crystal X-ray crystallography of complexes 13, 15 and 16 has been used to confirm the solid state geometry of the complexes. In attempts to generate active olefin oligomerisation catalysts, the chloromethyl Pd(II) complexes 14 and 16 were reacted with the halide abstractor NaBAr4 in the presence of stabilising solvents (i.e Et2O or NCMe) but no catalytic activities were observed. Decomposition was evident as observed from the deposition of palladium black in experiments using Et2O. In experiments where NCMe was used as the stabilising solvent, the formation of cationic species stabilised by NCMe was evident from 1H NMR analyses. Reaction of complex 14 with NaBAr4 on a preparative scale in a mixture of CH2Cl2 and NCMe solvent gave the cationic complex [[PdMeNCMe(L3)]BAr4 (19) in good yields. Complex 17 reacted with NABAr4 to give tridentate cationic species [[PdMe(L5)]BAr4 (20) which is inactive towards ethylene oligomerisation or polymerisation reactions. The tridentate coordination of L5 in 20 has also been established by single crystal X-ray structure of 20. Catalysts generated from 18 and 19 catalysed ethylene polymerisation at high pressures to branched polyethylene; albeit with very low activity. The Choromethyl palladium complex 14 reacted with sulfur dioxide to form complex 21. The nature of the product has been established by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry to be an insertion product of SO2 into the Pd-Me bond of 14. Compounds L1-L4 reacted with the nickel salts NiCl2 or NiBr2 in a 1:1 mole ratio to give the nickel complexes [NiCl2(L1)] (22), [NiBr2(L1)] (23), [NiCl2(L2)] (24), and [NiBr2(L2)] (25), [Ni2(μ2-Cl)2Cl2(L3)2] (26), [Ni2(μ2-Br)2Br2(L3)2] (27), [NiCl2(L4)] (29) and [NiBr2(L4)] (30) in good yields. Reaction of L3 with NiBr2 in a 2:1 mole gave the octahedral complex [NiBr2(L4)2] (28) in good yields. Complexes 22-30 were characterised by a combination micro-analyses, mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray analyses for 27 and 30. No NMR data were acquired because of the paramagnetic nature of the complexes. When complexes 22-30 were activated with EtAlCl2, highly active olefin oligomerisation catalysts were formed. In the ethylene oligomeristion reactions, three oligomers: C11, C14 xx and C16 were identified as the major products. Selectivityof 40% towards α-olefins were generally obtained. In general catalysts that contain the bidentate ligands L3 and L4 were more active than those that contain the tridentate ligands L1 and L2. Dichloride complexes exhibited relatively higher catalytic activities than their dibromide analogues. Turn over numbers (TON) for oligomer formation showed high dependence on ethylene concentration. A Lineweaver-Burk analysis of reactions catalysed by 22 and 26 showed TON saturation of 28 393 kg oligomer/mol Ni.h and 19 000 kg oligomer/mol Ni.h respectively. Catalysts generated from complexes 22-30 also catalysed oligomerisation of the higher olefins, 1-pentene, 1-hexene and 1-heptene and displayed good catalytic activities. Only two products C12 and C15 were obtained in the 1-pentene oligomerisation reactions. The 1-hexene reactions also gave two products, C12 and C18, while 1-heptene oligomerisation reactions gave predominantly C14 oligomers. Five benzoazoles were used to prepare a series of palladium complexes that were invesitigated as Heck coupling catalysts. The compounds 2-pyridin-2-yl-1H-benzoimidazole (L7) and 2-pyridin-2-yl-benzothiazole (L8) were prepared following literature procedures. The new ligands 2-(4-tert-butylpyridin-2-yl)-benzooxazole (L9) and 2-(4-tert-butyl-pyridin-2-yl)-benzothiazole (L10) were prepared by ring closure of aminophenol and aminothiophenol with tert-butyl picolinic acid respectively. The ligand 6-tert-Butyl-2-(4-tert-butyl-pyridin-2-yl)-benzothiazole (L11) was prepared by intramolecular cyclisation under basic conditions is described. Reactions of L7-L11 with either [Pd(NCMe)2Cl2] or [Pd(COD)MeCl] afforded the corresponding mononuclear palladium complexes [PdClMe(L7)] (31), [PdClMe(L8)] (32), [PdCl2(L9)] (33), [PdMeCl(L9)] (34), [PdCl2(L10)] (5), [PdMeCl(L10)] (36) and [PdMeCl(L11)] (37) as xxi confirmed by mass spectrometry and micro-analyses. The palladium complexes 31-37 were efficient Heck coupling catalysts for the reaction of iodobenzene with butylacrylate under mild conditions and showed good stability.

Ph.D. / Ligands bis(pyrazolyl)acetic acid (L1) and bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)acetic acid (L2) were synthesised by reacting pyrazoles and dibromoacetic acid under phase transfer conditions, by using benzyltriethylammonium chloride as the catalyst. Ligands L1 and L2 were characterised by a combination of 1H, 13C{1H} NMR, IR spectroscopy and microanalysis. Esterification of L1 and L2 led to formation of bis(pyrazolyl)ethyl acetate (L3) and bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)ethyl acetate (L4). Ligands L3 and L4 were also characterised by a combination of 1H, 13C{1H} NMR, IR spectroscopy and microanalysis. Subsequently, new pyrazolyl palladium(II) and platinum(II) compounds, [PdCl2(L1)] (1), [PdCl2(L2)] (2), [PtCl2(L1)] (3a) and [PtCl2(L2)] (4) were prepared by reacting bis(pyrazolyl)acetic acid ligands (L1-L2) with K2[PdCl4] or K2[PtCl4] respectively. The structures of complex 1 and 2 reveal distorted square planar geometries. The bond angles of N-Pd-N, N-Pd-Cl, N-Pd-Cl, for 1 and 2 are between 85.8(3)o and 90.81(4)o). The platinum compound, K2[Pt4Cl8(L1)2(deprotonated-L1)2].2H2O (3b), crystallised from aqueous solutions containing 3a when such solutions were left to stand overnight. Each platinum coordination environment consists of two cis-Cl ligands and one K2-N^N(L1) unit (L1 = bis(pyrazolyl)acetic acid), with two ligand moieties in 3b that are deprotonated with two K+ counter ions. Reaction of bis(pyrazolyl)acetic acid ligands (L1-L2) with [HAuCl4].4H2O gave gold(III) complexes [AuCl2(L1)]Cl (5a) and [AuCl2(L2)]Cl (6a). The spectroscopic, mass spectroscopy and microanalysis data were used to confirm the formation of the desired complexes. However, attempts to crystallise 5a and 6a led to formation of [AuCl2(pz)(pzH)] (5b) and [AuCl2(3,5-Me2pz)(3,5-Me2pzH)] (6b). This was confirmed by the structural characterisation of 5b, which has a distorted square-planar geometry. When complexes 1-6a were screened for their anti-tumour activity against CHO-22 cells, they showed no appreciable biological activities against CHO-22 cells. Substitution reactions of complexes 1-6a with L-cysteine performed to probe any relationship between the observed antitumour activities and the rates of ligand substitution of these complexes were inconclusive. Dithiocarbamate ligands L5-L8 were synthesised as potassium salts by introducing a CS2 group in positions 1 of pyrazole, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, indazole and imidazole. The reaction of L5-L8 with [AuCl(PPh3)], [Au2Cl2(dppe)], [Au2Cl2(dppp)] and [Au2Cl2(dpph)], led to isolation of complexes [Au(L)(PPh3)] (13-16), [Au2(L)2(dppe)] (17a-19), [Au2(L)2(dppp)] (20-22) and [Au2(L)2(dpph)] (23-25) (dppe = bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, dppp = bis(diphenylphosphino)propane, dpph = bis(diphenylphosphino)hexane; L = anions of L5-L8). The mononuclear molecular structure of 15 features a near linear geometry with a P(1)-Au(1)-S(1) angle of 175.36(2) o. The binuclear gold(I) complexes 20-22 and 23-25 have two P-Au-S moieties as evident in the solid state structure of 25. Attempts to crystallise complex 17a led to the formation of a gold(I) cluster complex [Au18S8(dppe)6]2+ (17b) as confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Cluster 17b features weak Au···Au interactions (2.9263(7)-3.1395(7) Å). Complexes 13-16 and 20-25 were tested in vitro for anticancer activity on HeLa cells. The activities of gold(I) complexes 13-16 were comparable to that of cisplatin. Dinuclear gold(I) complexes 20-25 also showed appreciable antitumour activity against HeLa cells. However, the dpph gold(I) compounds (23-25) were highly active, with 24 showing the highest activity against HeLa cells (IC50 = 0.1 μM). The tumour specificity (TS) factors for 23 and 24 were 31.0 and 70.5, respectively.