This dissertation describes the synthesis of novel, small molecule building blocks and the phenomena that are revealed when they are studied in unusual environments. Chapter 1 is divided into two sections, serving as introductions for chapters 2-3 and 4-5 respectively. The first section introduces the scanning tunneling microscope break junction (STM-BJ) as a new environment for reaction chemistry. Chapter 2 describes a truly single molecule reaction in which azobenzenes are formed in the STM-BJ one molecule at a time. Chapter 3 describes an electrostatically driven Ullmann coupling reaction of biphenyl iodides in the STM-BJ. In contrast to the reaction described in chapter 2, this reaction occurs throughout the solution in the presence of an electric field that surrounds the nanoelectrodes. The second half of chapter 1 provides a primer on the photoisomerization of azobenzenes, a class of small molecule dyes whose unique photochromic profile and switchable properties have been exploited across a wide range of fields. Chapter 4 introduces azobenzenes as photoswitchable ligands on superatomic clusters. Chapter 5 details the phenomenon and mechanism of white light driven rolling of Cu(I) isocyanoazobenzene crystals. Finally, chapter 6 is a self-contained research project. It details an organocatalytic O₂-coupled oxidation platform that capitalizes on the capacity of hydrazines to undergo rapid autoxidation to diazenes.

<p>Opisane&nbsp; su&nbsp; sinteze&nbsp; novih&nbsp; liganada&nbsp; bis(ftalazin-1hidrazon)-2,6-diacetilpiridna&nbsp; (Hz₂DAP&middot;2HCl),&nbsp; bis(3-hlorpiridazin-6-hidrazon)-2,6-diacetilpiridina (Hp₂DAP),&nbsp; 3-hlorpiridazin-6-hidrazon&nbsp; di(2-piridil) ketona&nbsp; (HpDPK),&nbsp; ftalazin-1-hidrazon&nbsp; di(2-piridil)<br />ketona&nbsp; (HzDPK)&nbsp; i&nbsp; ftalazin-1-hidrazon&nbsp; piridin-2-karbaldehida&nbsp; (HzPY).&nbsp; Zajedničko&nbsp; svojstvo&nbsp; dobijenih liganada&nbsp; je&nbsp; &scaron;to&nbsp; sadrže&nbsp; piridinski&nbsp; i&nbsp; diazinski&nbsp; prsten&nbsp; i sadrže&nbsp; samo&nbsp; donorne&nbsp; atome&nbsp; azota.&nbsp; Tokom&nbsp; nastajanja kompleksa dolazi do deprotonacije liganada. Svi ligandi su&nbsp; okarakterisani&nbsp; elementalnom&nbsp; analizom, termoanalitičkim&nbsp; metodama&nbsp; i&nbsp; metodom&nbsp; IR spektroskopije,&nbsp; dok&nbsp; neki&nbsp; i&nbsp; metodom&nbsp; NMR spektroskopije&nbsp; kao&nbsp; i&nbsp; rendgenskom&nbsp; strukturnom analizom.Za&nbsp; sintezu&nbsp; koordinacionih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; primenjeni&nbsp; soli Co(II),&nbsp; Ni(II),&nbsp; Cu(II)&nbsp; i&nbsp; Zn(II).&nbsp; Dobijeni&nbsp; kompleksi su okarakterisani&nbsp; elementalnom&nbsp; analizom, konduktomerijskim&nbsp; i&nbsp; magnetnim&nbsp; merenjima,&nbsp; IR spektroskopijom i termoanalitičkim metodama. Barem jedan&nbsp; kompleks&nbsp; iz&nbsp; svake&nbsp; serije&nbsp; je&nbsp; okarakterisan&nbsp; i rendgenskom strukturnom analizom. Urađena&nbsp; su&nbsp; i&nbsp; ispitivanja&nbsp; antimikrobne&nbsp; aktivnosti odabranih&nbsp; jedinjenja&nbsp; prema&nbsp; predstavnicima&nbsp; grampozitivnih i gram-negativnih bakterija i kulturu kvasca. Pored&nbsp; toga,&nbsp; urađena&nbsp; su&nbsp; i&nbsp; ispitivanja&nbsp; citotoksične,antiproliferativne&nbsp; i&nbsp; inhibitorne&nbsp; aktivnosti&nbsp; jedinjenja prema&nbsp; roditeljskim&nbsp; i&nbsp; multirezistentnim&nbsp; T-limfomnim ćelijama&nbsp; kancera.&nbsp; Utvrđeno&nbsp; je&nbsp; da&nbsp; neka&nbsp; jedinjenja pokazuju&nbsp; izrazito&nbsp; mikrobicidno,&nbsp; citotoksično, antiproliferativno i inhibitorno dejstvo.</p> / <p>The synthesis of new ligands dihydrochloride salt of 2,6-diacetylpyridne&nbsp;&nbsp; bis(phthalazine-1hydrazone) (Hz₂DAP&bull;2HCl),&nbsp; 2,6-diacetylpiridine&nbsp; bis(3- chloropyridazine-6-hydrazone)&nbsp; (Hp₂DAP),&nbsp; di(2-pyridyl)ketone&nbsp; 3-chloropyridazine- 6-hydrazone (HpDPK),&nbsp; di(2-pyridyl)ketone&nbsp; phthalazine-1-hydrazone&nbsp; (HzDPK)&nbsp; and&nbsp; &nbsp; pyridine-2-carbaldehide phthalazine-1-hydrazone&nbsp; (HzPY)&nbsp; have&nbsp; been described. All the ligands contain pyridine and diazine core and all of them have only nitrogen donor atoms. During the complex formation the deprotonation of ligands takes&nbsp; places.&nbsp; All&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; ligands&nbsp; have&nbsp; been characterized&nbsp; by&nbsp; elemental&nbsp; analysis,thermoanalytical&nbsp; methods&nbsp; and&nbsp; IR&nbsp; spectroscopy.&nbsp; In some&nbsp; cases&nbsp; also&nbsp; by&nbsp; NMR&nbsp; spectroscopy&nbsp; and&nbsp; X-ray structural analysis.Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) salts were&nbsp; used for the synthesis&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; coordinational&nbsp; compounds.&nbsp; The obtained complexes were characterized by elemental analysis,&nbsp; molar&nbsp; conductivity&nbsp; and&nbsp; magnetic measurements,&nbsp; IR&nbsp; spectroscopy&nbsp; and thermoanalytical&nbsp; methods.&nbsp; At&nbsp; least&nbsp; one complex&nbsp; of each&nbsp; series&nbsp; were&nbsp; characterized&nbsp; by&nbsp; X-ray&nbsp; structural analysis.The antimicrobial activity of some of the compounds toward&nbsp; Gram-positive/Gram- negative&nbsp; bacteria furthermore,&nbsp; the&nbsp; cytotoxic,&nbsp; antiproliferative&nbsp; and inhibitory&nbsp; activity&nbsp; toward&nbsp; sensitive&nbsp; parental&nbsp; andmultiresistant&nbsp; T-lymphoma&nbsp; cancer&nbsp; cells&nbsp; have&nbsp; also been carried out. It&nbsp; can&nbsp; be&nbsp; concluded&nbsp; that&nbsp; some&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; compounds exhibit&nbsp; outstanding&nbsp; antimicrobial,&nbsp; cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and inhibitory activity.</p>