Abstracts Chemistry

Chiral discrimination associated with complex molecules

by Janice Petherick

This thesis is a report on the design, synthesis and molecular structure of a set of chiral Co(III) metal complexes, in the solution and solid state. The complexes that have been synthesised will potentially intercalate between the base pairs of DNA. The structure of the bound tetradentate ligand, S,S-picchxnMe2 in the solid state was investigated to determine the flexibility of this seemingly rigid ligand. The bidentate ligands, R- and S-glu, were also bound to the Co complex and the differences in the tetradentate ligand were observed. The differences observed in the bonded tetradentate ligands were due to the chirality of the bonded amino acid. The aromatic amino acids, R- and S-phe, were used as bidentate ligands because of their ability to intercalate with DNA. Several scientific experiments were conducted and the results analysed in great depth