We prepared a seties of tridentate amido diphosphine ligands, including symmetrical [N(o-C6H4PR2)2]- ([R-PNP]- ; R = Ph, iPr, Cy) and unsymmetrical [N(o-C6H4PPh2) (o-C6H4PiPr2)]-. Deprotonation of neutral ligands, H[R-PNP] ( R = Ph, iPr, Cy) or H[Ph-PNP-iPr], with n-BuLi in ether solutions at -35oC produced the lithium complexes, [R-PNP]Li(solv)n ( R = Ph, iPr, Cy; solv = THF, OEt2; n = 1,2) or [Ph-PNP-iPr]Li(solv)n (solv = THF, OEt2; n = 1,2), respectively. The reactions of the lithium complexes or neutral ligands with NiCl2(DME) in THF solutions generated nickel(II) chloride complexes, [R-PNP]NiCl ( R = Ph, iPr, Cy) or [Ph-PNP-iPr]NiCl, which was then reacted with a variety of Grignard reagents to afford the corresponding hydrocarbyl complexes. Of particular interest among the compounds isolated are alkyl complexes that contain £]−hydrogen atoms. The metathetical reactions of nickel(II) chloride complexes with LiNHPh, NaOPh, NaSPh, or NaOtBu, respectively, produced the correspounding nickel anilide, nickel phenolate, nickel thiophenolate and nickel tert-butoxide derivatives. Protonolysis studies of nickel(II)-heteroatom complexes revealed the basic reactivity of these £k-donor ligands. The basicity follows the order OtBu > NHPh > OPh > SPh. Treatment of Ni(COD)2 (COD = cycloocta-1,5-diene) with neutral ligands produced the correspounding four-corrdinate nickel hydride complexes, [R-PNP]NiH (R = Ph, iPr, Cy) or [Ph-PNP-iPr]NiH. The olefin insertion reactions of [iPr-PNP]NiH or [Ph-PNP-iPr]NiH with ethylene, 1-hexene, and norbornene, respectively, generated the corresponding ethyl, n-hexyl, and 2-norbornyl complexes. The formation of [iPr-PNP]Ni(n-hexyl) or [Ph-PNP-iPr]Ni(n-hexyl) is indicative of exclusive 1,2-insertion of 1-hexene. In contrast, styrene inserts into the Ni-H bond of [Ph-PNP-iPr]NiH in an exclusively 2,1-manner to afford [Ph-PNP-iPr]NiCH(Me)Ph. The selective 2,1-insertion products [R-PNP]NiCH(Me)CO2Me (R = Ph, iPr, Cy) or [Ph-PNP-iPr]NiCH(Me)CO2Me were also isolated from the reactions of methyl acrylate with the corresponding nickel hydride complexes. The effects of the phosphorus and olefin substituent on the reactivity and regioselectivity of the olefin insertion reactions are discussed. We also prepared nickel acyl complexes and nickel complexes catalyzed C-N bond formation. In addition to solution NMR spectroscopic data for all new compounds. X-ray diffraction revealed solid structures. A series of five-coordinate aluminum complexes supported by o-phenylene - derived amido diphosphine ligands have been prepared and structurally characterized. Alkane elimination reactions of trialkylaluminum with neutral ligands, H[R-PNP] ( R = Ph, iPr) and H[Ph-PNP-iPr] in toluene solution at -35oC respectively produced the corresponding dialkyl complexes [iPr-PNP]AlR'2, [Ph-PNP]AlR'2 and [iPr-PNP-Ph]AlR'2 (R' = Me, Et, iBu) in high isolated yield. The dihydride complexes [iPr-PNP] AlH2, [Ph-PNP]AlH2 and [iPr-PNP-Ph]AlH2 prepared in one-pot reactions of in situ prepared dichloride precursors with LiAlH4 in THF at room temperature. X-ray diffraction studies revealed a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal structure for these molecules in which the two phosphorus donors are mutually trans. The solution structures of these complexes were all characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy. The NMR data are indicative of solution C2 symmetry for [iPr-PNP]- and [Ph-PNP]- complexes, whereas they are indicative of C1 for [iPr-PNP-Ph]- derivatives. The 1H NMR spectra of [iPr-PNP]AlR'2, [Ph-PNP]AlR'2 and [iPr-PNP-Ph]AlR'2 (R' = Et, iBu) revealed diastereotopy for the £\-hydrogen atoms in these molecules.