Ragogna, Paul J.2014-10-2120042004AAINQ89814http://hdl.handle.net/10222/54621Phosphines are traditional Lewis bases or ligands in complexes of transition metals and main group Lewis acceptors. In spite of their electron-rich (lone pair bearing) nature, an extensive coordination chemistry of Lewis acidic phosphorus centres is developing, highlighting a new synthetic approach leading to new structure and bonding. The P-P bond in phosphine-phosphenium cations is best described as a donor-acceptor interaction, that is, a phosphine ligand on a phosphenium acceptor. This bonding description can be exploited as the phosphine-phosphenium cations allow for ligand exchange reactions at the phosphenium centre, generating new P-Element bonds. Extended di-cationic arrays can be achieved by the versatile method of ligand displacement.The realisation of Lewis acidic phosphines has further prompted an investigation into the formation of chelate rings using the 2-amino-4-amino-2-pentene ligand commonly known as Dipp2nacnac. The synthesis and characterisation of a new Dipp2nacnac derivative containing a diphenylphosphino substituent on the backbone has been achieved and this feature is a useful 31P NMR spectroscopic probe to study the novel coordination chemistry of the new ligand.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dalhousie University (Canada), 2004.Chemistry, Biochemistry.text