[Formulae and special characters can only be approximated here. Please see the pdf version of the Abstract for an accurate reproduction.] The kinetics for outer-sphere electron transfer between a series of cobalt(II) poly-aza cage ligand complexes and the iron(III) sarcophagine-type hexa-aza cage complex, [Fe(sar)]3+ (sar = 3,6,10,13,16,19-hexaazabicyclo[6.6.6]icosane), in aqueous solution have been investigated and the Marcus correlation is used to deduce the electron self-exchange rate constant for the [Fe(sar)]3+/2+ couple from these cross-reactions. The deduced electron self-exchange rate constant is in relatively good agreement with the experimentally determined rate constant (k ex calc = 4 ´ 10 5 M -1 s -1 ; k ex obs = 8 ´ 10 5 M -1 s -1 ). The successful application of the Marcus correlation to the electron transfer reactions of the Fe cage complex is consistent with the trend for the Co, Mn, Ni and Ru cage complexes which all follow the pattern of outer-sphere electron transfer reactivity expected from the Marcus-Hush formalism. A comparison of predictions based on the Marcus correlation with the experimentally determined kinetics of an extended series of cross reactions involving cobalt cage complexes with low-spin-high-spin cobalt(III)/(II) couples shows that electron transfer reactions involving large spin changes at the metal centre are not necessarily anomalous in the context of the adiabatic Marcus-Hush formalism. The results of this study also show that for suitable systems, the Marcus correlation can be used to reliably calculate the rates of outer-sphere electron transfer cross-reactions, with reaction free-energy changes spanning the range -6 to -41 kJ mol -1 and many different combinations of initial electronic configurations. Together, these results provide a coherent and internally consistent set of experimental data in support of the Marcus-Hush formalism for outer-sphere electron transfer. The results with the caged metal-ion systems also highlight the special nature of the mechanism of electron transfer in reactions of metal-aqua ions. ¶ A new range of symmetrically disubstituted hexa-aza sarcophagine-type cage ligand complexes are prepared in this study by the base-catalysed co-condensation of formaldehyde and a-methylene aliphatic aldehydes with cobalt(III) tris(1,2-diamine) precursors in acetonitrile solution. Encapsulation reactions based on the condensation of the weak carbon di-acids propanal and decanal with formaldehyde and the cobalt(III) tris(1,2-diamine) precursors, [Co(en)3 ] 3+ (en = 1,2-ethanediamine) and D-lel3 -[Co((R, R)-chxn)3 ] 3+ (chxn = 1,2-cyclohexanediamine), yield unsaturated cobalt(III) cage complexes with an endo-cyclic imine function in each cap. The Co III -coordinated endo-cyclic imine units of the cage ligands are reactive electrophiles that are readily reduced by the BH4 - ion to give the corresponding symmetrically di-substituted hexaamine macrobicyclic cage ligands. The nitromethane carbanion is also shown to add at the endo-cyclic imine function to yield a novel nitromethylated cage ligand complex. The latter reaction introduces a new method for the regioselective functionalisation of cage ligands at sites removed from the more commonly substituted bridgehead positions. The capping of cobalt(III) tris(1,2-diamine)-type complexes with weak CH-acids developed in this study introduces a new and more direct route to symmetrically di-substituted cage ligand complexes. ¶ A new range of cobalt(III) surfactant cage complexes, with linear octyl, dodecyl and hexadecyl hydrocarbon chains built directly into the bridgehead structure of the cage ligand, have been prepared by the base catalysed co-condensation of formaldehyde and long chain aliphatic aldehydes with the tripodal cobalt(III) hexaamine complex, [Co(sen)]3+ (sen = 4,4',4''-ethylidynetris(3-azabutan-1-amine)), in acetonitrile solution. Chiral surfactant cage complexes are obtained by capping reactions beginning with the optically pure L-[Co(sen)]3+ precursor complex. The cobalt(III) cage complexes with octyl to hexadecyl substituents are surface active and reduce the surface tension of water to levels approaching those of organic solvents. The dodecyl substituted cage complex forms micelles in aqueous solution when the concentration of cage complex is > 1 ´ 10 -3 mol dm -3 at 25 °C. The cobalt(III) cage head-group of these surfactants undergoes an electrochemically reversible one-electron reduction to the corresponding cobalt(II) cage complex. The reduction potential of the surfactant head group can be tuned to more positive potentials by replacing the bridgehead hydrocarbon chain substituent with an ether linked hydrocarbon chain. The cobalt(III) surfactant-cage complexes are biologically active and are lethal to the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta, and the vaginal parasites, Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus. The surfactant cage complexes also cause lysis in red-blood cell membranes at concentrations as low 10 -5 mol dm -3 . Their biological activity is linked to the high head-group charge (3+) and size which cause distortions in biological membranes when the membrane is treated with these molecules. The combination of the chemically reversible outer-sphere redox properties of the cobalt cage head-groups and the chirality of the head group introduces a new and possibly unique series of chiral surfactant coordination complexes which are also redox active. ¶ The chiral carboxylic-acid ionophore, lasalocid A, has been used to promote the selective supramolecular transport and extraction of cobalt(III) hexa-aza cage cations and related tripodal cobalt(III) complexes. The conjugate base anion of lasalocid A forms stoichiometric outer-sphere complexes with the cobalt(III) cage and tripod complexes. These outer-sphere complexes are highly lipophilic and partition strongly from water into a chloroform phase. The extraction of the dissymmetric cobalt(III) complexes by the chiral polyether anion is enantioselective for many systems and results in the partial resolution of initially racemic complexes in the aqueous phase. A strong structural preference was demonstrated by the ionophore for symmetrically disubstituted cobalt(III) hexa-aza cage cations with a D-absolute configuration of the ligand about the metal-ion and an R configuration of the coordinated secondary amine N-H groups. The lasalocid A anion was also shown to promote the transport of the complexes, intact, across a chloroform bulk-liquid membrane against an NH4 + concentration gradient. The transport of the cobalt(III) complexes was also enantioselective and resulted in partial resolution of the initially racemic aqueous phase. The most efficiently transported enantiomer of each complex was also the most efficiently extracted isomer in all systems examined, consistent with a transport process limited by interfacial diffusion. The magnitude of the enantiomer separation obtained in some systems was sufficient to indicate that lasalocid A mediated extraction and transport may become a practical method for the resolution of particular types of kinetically-inert chiral metal-amine complexes.

Six series of cunitic amphiphiles based on benzene sulfonates were synthesized. The molecular characterization was performed by IR and NMR spectroscopy and the purity was determined by elemental analysis and thin layer chromatography. The thermotropic properties of these cunitic sulfonate amphiphiles were subsequently investigated by means of a combination of DSC, polarized microscopy and X-ray scattering. Most of the synthesized sulfonates were found to exhibit hexagonal columnar mesophases, some of them exhibited a complex polymorphism. The polymorphism depended upon variation of the molecular structure. The Six series of cunitic amphiphiles based on benzene sulfonates were synthesized. The molecular characterization was performed by IR and NMR spectroscopy and the purity was determined by elemental analysis and thin layer chromatography. The thermotropic properties of these cunitic sulfonate amphiphiles were subsequently investigated by means of a combination of DSC, polarized microscopy and X-ray scattering. Most of the synthesized sulfonates were found to exhibit hexagonal columnar mesophases, some of them exhibited a complex polymorphism. The polymorphism depended upon variation of the molecular structure. The phase behavior was determined by the nature of headgroup cation Mn+ (n=1, 2), and for the same Mn+ by the carbon number at the hydrophobic tail and by temperature as well. The lyotropic properties of these cunitic sulfonate amphiphiles were also studied by investigating their gelation behavior and gelling capability. A number of the amphiphiles were found to be favorable organogelators that gel various organic solvents of either high or low polarity upon self-aggregation driven by the Coulomb interaction. The morphological results by means of SEM and TEM demonstrate that the organogelators are able to form fibrous network microstructures by self-organization and self-aggregation. The cylindrical aggregates with sulfonated headgroup in the center as well embody the potential to construct ion-selective transport membranes. The cunitic amphiphiles containing polar sulfonate units at their focal point and polymerizable olefin group on their periphery were exploited to prepare functional membranes that contain ion-active transport channels. The ion-selectivity of the formed membranes was investigated by means of ion transport experiments with LiCl, NaCl, KCl solutions of different concentration. By comparison of the ion transport rates across the membranes the ionic permselectivity was demonstrated.