It has been observed that in certain cases the exposure of dyed fibres to aging techniques results in the strengthening of fibres. This thesis explores the hypothesis that the strengthening is due to radical cross-coupling reactions that could be initiated through metal ion mediated photodecarboxylation. The approaches taken in this research include kinetic experiments (using flash photolysis), examination of possible cross-coupling experiments (using species of opposite charge), and the design and examination of small molecule model systems. A flash photolysis system was developed and used in attempts to determine the rates of photochemical product formation for cobalt(III) amino acid complexes. Lower limits have been established for the rate of product formation in these systems. The lower limits are: 2 x 10⁷ s⁻¹ for [Co(bpy)2(gly)]²⁺; 2 x 10⁷ s⁻¹ for [Co(tpa)(gly)]²⁺; and 5 x 10⁶ s⁻¹ for [Co(tpa)(aib)]²⁺, where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine; gly is glycinate; tpa is tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; and aib is aminoisobutyrate. In past studies, the rates of a series of cobalt(III) amino acid complexes were reported as being the same, and much slower. It is thought that in these cases it may not be the rate of the formation of product that was being measured, but rather the response time of the electronics that was being observed. In this thesis the results obtained for the rate for the aib complex were somewhat lower than those of the gly complexes. This may imply, for the aib complex at least, the rate of the formation of the metallocycle is being observed (and not the response times of the electronics or other limitations of the instrumentation), but the data is poor and there is considerable doubt about this. The steady state photolysis of opposite charged species [Co(bpy)2(gly)]²⁺ and [Co(EDTA)]⁻ is reported. The reactions were carried out on a small scale in deuterated solvent for NMR spectrometry analysis and also on a large scale for the possible isolation and characterisation of the products. Evidence was found for a different reaction occurring when both complexes were present. The exact nature of the product remains elusive. A model system was designed in which a dinuclear ligand would bind to two metal centres and a fibre mimic would be later added. Eight ligands are discussed that could potentially bind two octahedral metal centres. They all had a xylene spacing group linking the two polydentate sites together. Five of the ligands have two bidentate binding sites. The other three had two tridentate sites. The binding sites in three of the bis(bidentate) ligands were based on ethane-1,2- diamine (en). Two of these ligands produced hypodentate monocobalt and sundentate dicobalt complexes. The other two bidentate ligands were based on 2- aminomethylpyridine (ampy). Both of these ligands degraded in the complexation reaction conditions. The binding sites in the tridentate ligands were all based on tacn. Once again, the principal products isolated were hypodentate systems in which only one metal ion was coordinated by the ligands. There is a distinct pattern observed in the xylene spaced ligands to form hypodentate complexes with cobalt(III) metal centred complexes. There is evidence of the di-nuclear species from a reaction with a charcoal catalyst in the bis(bidentate) system. ¹H NMR spectrometry, ¹³C NMR spectrometry, elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to study and characterise the complexes and ligands that were prepared in this project.

It has been observed that in certain cases the exposure of dyed fibres to aging techniques results in the strengthening of fibres. This thesis explores the hypothesis that the strengthening is due to radical cross-coupling reactions that could be initiated through metal ion mediated photodecarboxylation. The approaches taken in this research include kinetic experiments (using flash photolysis), examination of possible cross-coupling experiments (using species of opposite charge), and the design and examination of small molecule model systems. A flash photolysis system was developed and used in attempts to determine the rates of photochemical product formation for cobalt(III) amino acid complexes. Lower limits have been established for the rate of product formation in these systems. The lower limits are: 2 x 10⁷ s⁻¹ for [Co(bpy)2(gly)]²⁺; 2 x 10⁷ s⁻¹ for [Co(tpa)(gly)]²⁺; and 5 x 10⁶ s⁻¹ for [Co(tpa)(aib)]²⁺, where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine; gly is glycinate; tpa is tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; and aib is aminoisobutyrate. In past studies, the rates of a series of cobalt(III) amino acid complexes were reported as being the same, and much slower. It is thought that in these cases it may not be the rate of the formation of product that was being measured, but rather the response time of the electronics that was being observed. In this thesis the results obtained for the rate for the aib complex were somewhat lower than those of the gly complexes. This may imply, for the aib complex at least, the rate of the formation of the metallocycle is being observed (and not the response times of the electronics or other limitations of the instrumentation), but the data is poor and there is considerable doubt about this. The steady state photolysis of opposite charged species [Co(bpy)2(gly)]²⁺ and [Co(EDTA)]⁻ is reported. The reactions were carried out on a small scale in deuterated solvent for NMR spectrometry analysis and also on a large scale for the possible isolation and characterisation of the products. Evidence was found for a different reaction occurring when both complexes were present. The exact nature of the product remains elusive. A model system was designed in which a dinuclear ligand would bind to two metal centres and a fibre mimic would be later added. Eight ligands are discussed that could potentially bind two octahedral metal centres. They all had a xylene spacing group linking the two polydentate sites together. Five of the ligands have two bidentate binding sites. The other three had two tridentate sites. The binding sites in three of the bis(bidentate) ligands were based on ethane-1,2- diamine (en). Two of these ligands produced hypodentate monocobalt and sundentate dicobalt complexes. The other two bidentate ligands were based on 2- aminomethylpyridine (ampy). Both of these ligands degraded in the complexation reaction conditions. The binding sites in the tridentate ligands were all based on tacn. Once again, the principal products isolated were hypodentate systems in which only one metal ion was coordinated by the ligands. There is a distinct pattern observed in the xylene spaced ligands to form hypodentate complexes with cobalt(III) metal centred complexes. There is evidence of the di-nuclear species from a reaction with a charcoal catalyst in the bis(bidentate) system. ¹H NMR spectrometry, ¹³C NMR spectrometry, elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to study and characterise the complexes and ligands that were prepared in this project.