Synthesis of tripnictide macrocycles based on a benzannulated core

This thesis focuses on the synthesis of novel tripnictide macrocytes facilitated by a relatively unexplored dehydrofluorinative synthetic methodology involving the formation of a P-C bond and concomitant removal of HF from precursor complexes containing orthofluorophenyl phosphines and adjacent primary phosphines. The first example of a template (CpFe*/Cp*Fe*) synthesised triarsenic macrocycle has been isolated in excellent yields along with its' analogous tribenzannulated triphosphorus counterpart. Similar dibenzannulated and monobenzannulated tripnictide macrocycles have also been prepared. An expansion of this mechanism has allowed the synthesis of mixed donor macrocycles that previous to this research were unknown. The same synthetic procedure has been adapted to facilitate the synthesis of novel bimetallic complexes incorporating both phosphorus and arsenic donors