[Truncated abstract] Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the 'sarcophagine' class of ligands and the field of metallopolymers. The synthesis, stereochemistry, physical properties and functionalisation of 'sarcophagines' and their metal complexes are discussed. A brief overview of the burgeoning field of metallopolymers is given with specific mention of the synthetic routes to pendant metallopolymers, and how these could be employed to prepared cage amine containing metallopolymers. Chapter 2 deals with the synthesis, characterisation and reactivity of cinnamylamino and styrylamido derivatives of the cage amines [Co((NH2)2sar)]3+, [Co((CH3)(NH2)sar)]3+ and [Cu((NH2)2sar)]2+. The cinnamylamino derivatives were prepared using reductive alkylation of the aforementioned amines with cinnamaldehyde. Procedures were developed to isolate the complexes without causing unwanted additions to the double bond. The cinnamylamino derivatives displayed unexpected reactivity towards a range of reducing agents, resulting in unexpected reduction of the double bond and cleavage of the cinnamyl group, but ultimately in the preparation of phenylpropylamino derivatives of [Co((NH2)2sar)]3+ and [Co((CH3)(NH2)sar)]3+. Attempts to rationalise the reactivity of the double bond have been explored based upon the physical properties and reactivity of the double bond. The styrylamido derivatives were prepared by treatment of the cage amines with 4-vinylbenzoyl chloride, and the complexes isolated in a similar manner to those of the cinnamylamino derivatives to ensure the amide linkage remained intact. Most of the complexes have been structurally characterised. ... Both the 2-thienyl and 3-thienyl derivatives of [Co((NH2)2sar)]3+ and [Co((CH3)(NH2)sar)]3+ have been prepared using reductive alkylation with the respective carboxaldehydes of thiophene. One of the optically pure isomers has been prepared. The complexes have been fully characterised including structural characterisation. Polymerisation of the thiophene-cage amine complexes was investigated under a range of chemical and electrochemical conditions, though polymerisation was never observed. Cleavage of the thienyl groups was observed when ceric ammonium nitrate in nitric acid was used as the oxidant. The attachment of oligothiophenes and mixed pyrrole-thiophene oligomers to cage amines were investigated using reductive alkylation and various pyrrole ring-forming reactions about the apical amino groups, though none of the desired complexes were isolated, reasons for the lack of reactivity were discussed. An efficient synthesis of N-(4-benzoic acid)- 2,5-di(2-thienyl)pyrrole was developed and was shown to the electropolymerisable, albeit the polymer films were non-conducting. Attempts to couple N-(4-benzoic acid)- 2,5-di(2-thienyl)pyrrole with a cage amine via its acid chloride were complicated by decomposition reactions, the nature of one of these products is discussed. Chapter 5 presents investigations into the preparation of simple complexes containing multiple cage amines using alkylation and acylation procedures with aromatic substrates. The complexes were found to exhibit some interesting electrochemical and chemical properties, demonstrating that even simple multiple cage amine species can display complicated and interesting behaviour.

Recently, the Parkin group has synthesized tris[(1-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-yl)dimethylsilyl]methane, [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]H, a bulky tetradentate tripodal ligand, which upon deprotonation can coordinate to metal centers via three nitrogen donor atoms and a carbon bridgehead to form metal atrane compounds. The [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] ligand has been previously shown to stabilize metal hydride complexes, for example [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]MgH [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]ZnH. However, no attempts had been previously made to employ this ligand to stabilize heavier Group 12 analogues of these complexes, namely the cadmium and mercury hydride derivatives. In addition, all [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] complexes previously reported have employed metals in the first or second oxidation states. In this work, an investigation is undertaken to use the [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] ligand to stabilize rare examples of cadmium and mercury hydrides, as well as survey how this ligand binds to Group 13 and transition metals in a variety of oxidation states. In Chapter 1, a series of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] cadmium complexes are reported, including the novel cadmium hydride species [Tismᴾʳᴮᵉⁿᶻ]CdH, which is only the third terminal cadmium hydride species to be structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. The reactivity of this complex has been probed, revealing the first detailed report of reactivity for a Cd-H bond, as well as the first comparison in relative reactivity between an analogous Cd-H and Zn-H bond. This reactivity of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]CdH includes the ability to insert CO₂ and CS₂, and the resulting cadmium formate and dithioformate complexes have been characterized and discussed, with the latter being the first structurally characterized example of a cadmium dithioformate complex. In addition, [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]CdH can undergo hydride extraction to yield the ion pair {[Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]Cd}[HB(C6F5)₃], a rare example of trigonal monopyramidal cadmium complex. Finally, [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]CdMe was synthesized, revealing a different coordination mode of the [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] ligand than in the analogous [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]ZnMe. In Chapter 2, a series of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] mercury complexes are reported and compared with their cadmium analogues. This comparison revealed several notable differences between [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] mercury and cadmium complexes, most notably that the M-O-Si bond angle in [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]HgOSiPh₃ is bent, as opposed to the linear [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]CdOPh₃ derivative. The synthesis and characterization of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]HgH, the first mercury hydride complex to be structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction, is also reported. This complex has been crystallized in both the κ⁴ and κ³-coordination mode of the [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] ligand, representing the first example of a [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] compound to be structurally characterized in two coordination modes. In Chapter 3, the synthesis of Group 13 and transition metal [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] complexes are reported. These compounds include the first examples of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]M(III) complexes, which reveal that trivalent Group 13 [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]M halide compounds form charged ion pairs, whereas trivalent transition metal chloride compounds form six-coordinate octahedral complexes. The investigation into Group 13 [Tismᴾʳᴮᵉⁿᶻ] complexes also led to the structural characterization of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]In→InI₃, the first example of a [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] compound with a metal-metal bond. A series of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]MCl (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Cu) complexes are reported and their metrical data compared, along with an investigation into the reactivity of [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]NiBr, which led to spectroscopic evidence for a [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]NiH complex. Finally, the gold complex [κ1-Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ]AuPPh₃ is reported, which adopts a novel κ1-coordination of the [Tismᴾʳⁱᴮᵉⁿᶻ] ligand.

The intracellular second messenger InsP₃ is a vital molecule in the regulation of Ca²⁺ signalling. Ca²⁺ mediates a wide range of cellular activities from fertilisation and cell differentiation through to apoptoisis. Using X-ray crystal structure data and molecular modelling, a series of novel InsP₃ analogues were designed as selective InsP₃R-antagonists. Two novel synthetic routes have been developed for the synthesis of these analogues. The first route uses a Ferrier-II rearrangement to provide enantiopure inositol intermediates, whereas, the second route employs a diastereomeric resolution to obtain the enantiopure inositols. The successful synthesis of InsP₃ and a series of 5-position modified analogues are reported herein.