TABLE OF CONTENTS

The imposex (superimposition of male characteristics onto females) and tributyltin (TBT) body burdens (b. b.) in the gastropod Nucella lapillus were surveyed during 2003 along the Portuguese coast. The imposex indices VDSI (vas deferens sequence index, black circles in the figure), RPSI (relative penis size index) and %I (percentage of affected females) were 0.20-4.04, 0.0-42.2% and 16.7-100.0%, respectively. Imposex was significantly correlated to TBT b.b., which was 23-138 ng Sn/g dry weight. The highest levels of imposex, including sterile females (asterisks in the figure), and TBT contamination were found at sites with ship port and dockyard activities.

A bacterial isolate capable of utilizing tributyltin chloride (TBTC) as sole source of carbon was isolated from marine water samples. The isolate, producing a soluble green pigment, was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain USS25 NCIM-5224. The isolate showed maximum growth with 2 mM of TBTC in mineral salt medium. Time course results showed complete elimination of TBTC after 75 days of incubation. During the growth on TBTC, a product (280 mg) was found to accumulate, which was extracted with chloroform and detected on thin-layer chromatography. Based on the IR, NMR spectra and GC-MS analysis, the isolated product was identified as monobutyltin dichloro hydride.

On-line UV photooxidation by peroxodisulfate was coupled to ion chromatography hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (IC-UV-HG-AFS) for the speciation of antimony. Under optimised conditions, the photodecomposition resulted in an improvement in methylantimony species sensitivity.

One pot Ru^III-H₂O₂ system is convenient, eco-friendly and oxidizes a wider range of organic compounds Traces of catalyst and regeneration of solvent make it highly economical

Borohydride complexes of lanthanides have been used as MMA polymerization catalysts. Syndiotactic or isotactic PMMA is obtained, depending on the molecular structure of the lanthanide complex and the experimental conditions.

A series of nickel complexes with -ketoamine ligands based on pyrazolone derivatives were synthesized by condensing pyrazolone with aniline, 2-chloroaniline or naphthylamine and then reacting the produced -ketoamine with nickel halide. The solid-state structures of these three complexes were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The bis(-ketoamine)nickel complexes are all air-stable and can act as highly active catalyst precursors for styrene polymerization with activation of methylaluminoxane under mild reaction conditions. The activity of the catalyst for styrene polymerization is as high as 2.10 × 10⁵ g polymer/mol Ni h. Both steric and electronic effects were found to be important and influential for catalytic activity.

The N-heterocyclic carbene, 1,3-dimesityl-imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) reacts with tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the presence of an oxidizing uranyl triflate complex, UO₂(OTf)₂(thf)₃ (OTf = OSO₂CF₃), to give 1,4-bis(1,3-dimesityl-2-imidazolium)-1,3-butadiene bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate), formally understood as the coupling product of two equivalents of IMes with [CHCHCHCH] (OTf)₂.

Using the principles of molecule self-assembly, two novel zinc 1D complexes {[Zn(phth)(bipy)(H₂O)][Zn(phth)(bipy)]·H₂O}_n (1) and [Zn(1,2,4-btc)(bipy)(H₂O)·2H₂O]_n (2) were obtained by hydrothermal reaction, especially two types of metal environment in the structure of the complex 1. The luminescent properties of them have been investigated with fluorescence excitation and emission spectra.

The reactions of mono andbidentate aromatic nitrogen containing ligands with [Ru(CO)₃Cl₂]₂ in alcohol solutions have been studied. Acid-base behavior of alcohols and aromatic polypyridines promotes the formation of several organometallic compounds. The reactivity of the new complexes have been tested in 1-hexene hydroformylation.

A series of titanium and zirconium complexes based on aminoiminophosphorane ligands [Ph₂P(Nt-Bu)(NR)]₂MCl₂ have been synthesized and characterized. The complexes are inactive for ethylene polymerization under atmospheric pressure. This is probably the result of low monomer ethylene concentration and steric congestion around the central metal.

Diphenyltin(IV) complexes of N-(3,5-dibromosalicylidene)--amino acid and their 1:1 adducts with diphenyltin dichloride were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn) spectra and X-ray crystallography. The compounds display good cytotoxic and anti-bacterial activities.

Via sol-gel process, nickel aluminate was prepared using alumatrane and nickel acetate as precursors. The surface area found was in the range of 300-450 m²/g at 500 °C calcinations temperature with the pore distribution in the mesoporous region.

The stability of carboxylate complexes of mono-, di and trimethyltin with different ligands containing from 1 to 6 carboxylic groups was investigated. The results obtained from this systematic study allowed to formulate an empirical predictive equation to correlate complexes stability with the number of carboxylic and alcoholic groups in the ligand. Speciation models for all the system investigated are given. Distribution diagrams for some representative systems are reported and discussed in the light of speciation studies in natural waters.

The reactions of alkyn-1-yl(vinyl)silanes R₂Si[CC-Si(H)Me₂]CHCH₂ [R = Me (1a), Ph (1b)], Me₂Si[CC-Si(Br)Me₂]CHCH₂ (2a) and of alkyn-1-yl(allyl)silanes R₂Si[CC-Si(H)Me₂]CH₂CHCH₂ (R = Me (3a), R = Ph (3b)] with 9-borabicyclo [3.3.1]nonane in a 1:1 ratio afford in high yield 4a, b and 5a, and 6a, b, respectively. In the cases of 4a, b, potential electron-deficient SiHB bridges are absent or extremely weak, whereas in 6a, b the existence of SiHB bridges is clearly evident from the NMR spectroscopic data. The molecular structure of 4b was determined by X-ray analysis.