TABLE OF CONTENTS

Monosaccharide-modified cyclosiloxanes were synthesized and characterized. These compounds, as well as potassium salts of sebacomethyldisiloxanes were used as surfactants in nanoprecipitation of polycaprolactone, polysiloxane and polysulfone. Particles of 100-400 nm diameter were obtained, depending on surfactant and polymer core.

The acid dissociation constants of 2,4,6-trimercaptotriazine (H₃TMT) were determined by acid-base titration and now can be employed in the preparation of complexes having specific Cu-TMT ratios. The extremely small value of K_SP for Cu₃ (TMT)₂ · 2H₂O (3) (2.11 × 10^-46) indicates that Na₃TMT is an advantageous chelating agent in precipitating complex copper (e.g. copper-ammine species) from wastewaters. The influence of ammonia concentration, pH and settling time on the effectiveness of copper precipitation was investigated.

A convenient and highly user friendly method for Heck and Suzuki cross-coupling reaction is presented.

The present work shows the catalytic activity of a series of carbonyl ruthenium complexes in the epoxidation of olefins co-catalyzed by isobutyl-aldehyde. The complexes display catalytic activity in the epoxidation of the cyclohexene with high selectivity.

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was investigated using a series of bis(-ketoamino)nickel(II) complexes (Scheme 1) in combination with methylaluminoxane in toluene solution. The binary catalyst is necessary for initiating MMA polymerization and producing PMMA with high molecular weights but broad molecular weight distributions. The effects of reaction temperature and Al:Ni molar ratios on the polymerization of MMA were examined in detail. Both steric bulk and electronic effects of the substituents around the imino group in the ligand on MMA polymerization activities could be observed. Relative to electronic effects, the steric hindrance of the ligands displayed a more significant effect on the catalytic activities, with the catalytic activity sequence observed in the order 4 > 1 > 2 > 3 > 5 > 6. Structural analyses of the polymers by ¹³C NMR spectra indicate that polymerization yields PMMA with a syndiotactic-rich atactic microstructure.

The palladium-catalyzed selective alkoxycarbonylation of enamide was studied using N-vinylphthalimide as the model substrate. Good yields and high regioselectivities of either the branched or linear products were obtained under optimum reaction conditions. The primary optical yield (12.3%) of N-Phthaloyl-L-alanine methyl ester (2) was obtained using (S)-(+)-BNPPA as the chiral ligand.

Ten organotin derivatives with dithiocarbamates of the formulae (4-NCC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(S₂CNEt₂)₂ (1), (4-NCC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(S₂CNBz₂)₂ (2), (4-NCC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(S₂CN(CH₂CH₂)₂NCH₃)₂ (3), (2-ClC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(S₂CNEt₂)₂ (4), (2-ClC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(S₂CNBz₂)₂ (5), (4-NCC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(Cl)S₂CNEt₂ (6), (4-NCC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(Cl)S₂CNBz₂ (7), (4-NCC₆H₄CH₂)₂SnS₂CN(Cl)CH₂CH₂)₂NCH₃ (8), (2-ClC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(Cl)S₂CNEt₂ (9) and (2-ClC₆H₄CH₂)₂Sn(Cl)S₂CNBz₂ (10) have been prepared, respectively. All complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, IR and NMR. The crystal structures of the complexes 1 and 10 were determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction.

The same regioselectivity can be obtained in the CuI catalyzed allylic coupling of n-butylzinc reagents prepared by either pre-transmetallation or in situ transmetallation of Grignard reagents in the presence of allylic partner and catalyst. n-Butylzinc bromide and di n-butylzinc undergo -selective allylation whereas tri n-butylzincate gives preferential -selectivity. The regioselectivity obtained in the reaction of n-butyl bromide and E-crotyl chloride in the presence of Mg and CuCN is parallel to the coupling of preformed n-butylmagnesium bromide

The antifungal, antibacterial, antifertility aspects and spectroscopic characterization of novel chiral tin and lead complexes derived by amino acids as chiral auxiliary and 2,2-bipyridine as a secondary ligand have been described. On the basis of the spectral studies the hexa-coordinated environment around the metal atom has been inferred. Finally all these complexes have been screened for their antimicrobial activity against a variety of fungal and bacterial strains and their reproductive outcomes on male albino rats at the dosage employed.