Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor James McNulty for the guidance, encouragement, and knowledge he provided me over the last four years. The experiences and work ethic gained under his supervision will be a great asset in my future chemistry career. I would like to also thank my committee members. Professors Capretta and Atkinson, who gave valuable insight into (and took the time to read) my thesis over the two years. I am also appreciative of all the faculty and staff for making the six years I spent getting my BSc and MSc at Brock an enjoyable and rewarding time. A special thanks to Dr. Hartman for the help whenever I needed it. Tim Jones for the mass spectral data, and Olga, Chris, and Veronika for keeping me in line. To my colleagues in lab H204; Jeff Dyck, Dr. Vladimir Laritchev, Justin Mao, and Amanda Rochon, I would like to show my utmost appreciation for all the assistance throughout the last couple of years. Everyone there made coming to the lab to work an enjoyable time. To Jen, thanks for everything you have done for me over the last tw