To Hing-lun. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGMENT --- p.iii / CONTENTS --- p.iv / ABBREVIATIONS --- p.vi / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Synthesis and Reactivity Studies of Copper Complexes Supported by a Pyridine-Containing Ligand / Chapter 1.A. --- General Introduction / Chapter 1.A.I. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.A.II. --- Dioxygen Activation by Copper-Containing Species --- p.2 / Chapter 1 A.III. --- Reactivity of Copper(I) Complexes Towards Dioxygen Binding --- p.11 / Chapter 1.A.IV. --- Synthetic Models for Copper-Containing Proteins --- p.12 / Chapter 1.A.V. --- Objective of This Work --- p.27 / Results and Discussion / Chapter 1.B. --- Synthesis and Characterization / Chapter 1.B.I. --- Synthesis / Chapter 1.B.I.a. --- Ligand Synthesis --- p.28 / Chapter 1.B.I.b. --- Synthesis of Copper(I) Complexes --- p.31 / Chapter 1.B.II. --- Characterization / Chapter 1.B.II.a. --- Physical Characterization of Complex25 --- p.33 / Chapter 1.B.II.b. --- Structural Studies / Chapter 1.B.II.b.i. --- Molecular Structure of Complex25 --- p.34 / Chapter 1.B.II.b.ii. --- Comparisons of The Structural Parameters of 25 with Those of 24 and Other [Cu1(u-Br)]2 Complexes --- p.37 / Chapter 1.B.II.c. --- Electrochemical Studies --- p.38 / Chapter 1.C. --- Reactivity Studies --- p.40 / Chapter 1.D. --- Summary --- p.44 / Chapter 1.E. --- Experimental Procedures --- p.45 / Chapter 1.F. --- References --- p.54 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Synthesis and Reactivity Studies of Nickel Complexes With a N3O-Donor Ligand / Chapter 2.A. --- General Introduction / Chapter 2.A.I. --- Introduction --- p.61 / Chapter 2.A.II. --- Studies of Metal-Phenoxyl Radical Arrays --- p.67 / Chapter 2.A.III. --- Objective of This Work --- p.72 / Results and Discussion / Chapter 2.B. --- Synthesis and Characterization / Chapter 2.B.I. --- Synthesis of Nickel(II) Complexes --- p.73 / Chapter 2.B.II. --- Characterization / Chapter 2.B.II.a. --- Physical Characterization of Complexes 34 and 35 --- p.75 / Chapter 2.B.II.b. --- Structural Studies / Chapter 2.B.II.b.i. --- Molecular Structure of Complex 34 --- p.75 / Chapter 2.B.II.b.ii. --- Molecular Structure of Complex 35 --- p.78 / Chapter 2.B.II.b.iii. --- Structural Comparisons --- p.81 / Chapter 2.B.II.c. --- Electrochemical Studies --- p.82 / Chapter 2.C. --- Reactivity Studies --- p.84 / Chapter 2.D. --- Summary --- p.90 / Chapter 2.E. --- Experimental Procedures --- p.91 / Chapter 2.F. --- References --- p.94 / APPENDIX A General Procedure and Physical Measurements / Chapter A.I. --- General Procedures --- p.99 / Chapter A.II. --- Physical Measurements --- p.100 / APPENDIX B Crystallographic Data / Chapter B.I. --- Selected Crystallographic Data for Compounds 25，34 and 35 --- p.102