“…The nickel complexes of dibenzo[b,i]- [1,4,8,11]tetraaza [14]annulene (TAA) and 5,7,12,14-tetramethyl-dibenzo[b,i] [1,4,8,11]tetraaza [14]annulene (TMTAA), as shown below, were amongst the first to be prepared and their properties may be tailored by selective structural modification or ligation. For example, structural studies have shown that TAA complexes and analogues with methyl and aryl groups in the meso-positions, such as nickel-6,13-di(p-tolyl)-5,14-dibenzo[b,i] [1,4,8,11]tetraaza [14]annulene, [Ni II DTTAA] [2] and their Co analogues [3], and nickel-6,13-dimethyl-5, 14-dibenzo[b,i] [1,4,8,11]tetraaza [14]annulene, [Ni II DMTAA] [4] possess predominantly planar macrocyclic ring systems. In contrast, the TMTAA complexes are saddle-shaped due to the steric interaction between the methyl groups and benzene rings.…”