Synthesis of Novel Organic Conductors and Physical and Chemical Investigation of Some Cyclic Systems

Different aromatic systems have been synthesised with the aim of generating new conducting organic molecules. These molecules either incorporate heterocyclic atoms, sulphur or selenium, or are based on a donought shaped system. Both systems depend on extensive delocalisation to facilitate, with or without d-orbital enhancement, the electron movement. To investigate the alpha effect the synthesis of an oxetane was attempted using various routes and strategies. The initial Diels-Alder reactions led to various attempts to synthesise the key intermediate, 7,7-dimethylnorbornadiene. Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug, effective against Plasmodium falciparum, that chemically combats the the parasite in a different mode from traditional drugs. The synthesis of simple analogues was investigated to show that the activity was attributed to the peroxide bridge and that other functionalities present served to enhance this property. As a result of NMR studies on various Schiff's Base systems it was shown that the formation of a molecular complex, as reported by the authors, was incorrect and a Schiff's Base reaction had occurred between the solute and acetone. The influence of electron withdrawing substituents on the chemical shift of 4-substituted camphors has been investigated and the results reported