TABLE OF CONTENTS

Four new lanthanocene complexes with an ansa carbonous-bridged cyclopentadienyl/aromatic heterocycle ligand were prepared and characterized. These complexes were effective for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. When AlEt₃ or NaH (nanometric) were used as different co-catalysts, the lanthanocene complexes 1-4 showed different catalytic behavior.

Suzuki-Miyaura reactions between halobenzenes and other substituted (hetero)arenes and boronic acids were carried out in PEG-water solution using Pd/BaSO₄ as catalytic source in a ligand-free system. High to moderate yields were generally obtained. The catalytic system could be recycled up to six times, showing a slight decrease in activity after each cycle.

Aluminum and zinc complexes bearing N,O-chelate ligands were synthesized and characterized. Transformation and catalysis in the ring-opening polymerization of -caprolactone of the complexes are described.

The reactions of bis(cyclopentadienyl) titanium(IV)chloride with a new class of isatin-2,3-bis(thiosemicarbazones) (H₂L), derived by condensing isatin with different N(4)-substituted thiosemicarbazides, have been studied both by a conventional stirring method and also using microwave technology. Binuclear products of type [{(⁵-C₅H₅)₂TiCl} ₂(L)] have been isolated in both cases and charecterized. Studies were conducted to assess the growth inhibiting potential of the ligands and complexes against various fungal, viral and bacterial strains.

Four new diorganotin(IV) complexes of N-(5-halosalicylidene)tryptophane were synthesized and characterized. Their supramolecular structures formed by intermolecular weak interactions are discussed. The dibutyltin complexes displayed greater in vitro cytoxicity activity against two human tumor cell lines, CoLo205 and Bcap37, compared with the clinically used drug, cis-platin.

The cyclic palladated complexes 3a, b were synthesized via three simple and readily available building blocks via a one-pot oxidative addition reaction of 1a, b to Pd(dba)₂ and isocyanide XyNC or via direct insertion reaction of XyNC into arylpalladium complexes 2a, b. Depalladation reaction of palladacycles 3a, b could convert into organic molecules 4a, b, 5a, b and 6a, b. The sequence of reaction led eventually to compounds that could potentially possess pharmacological properties. In the solid state, structures of selected complexes 2a, 3a and 3b show interesting features.

Relationship between lnk and T^-1 for HBPCS curable systems in different reaction atmospheres (a) with 10wt% TPGDA (b) without TPGDA. In nitrogen atmosphere, the curing activation energies for the systems with and without TPGDA are identical. In air atmosphere, the activation energies for the curing systems are pretty lower. The activation energy for the curing system with TPGDA in air is about half of that for the system without TPGDA in air.