Sodium Bis (4-(2,3-diaminopropyl)phenyl)phosphinate (Na-BDAP) ligand has been designed to self-assemble in the presence of an appropriate metal ion forming a structure able to interact preferentially with hydrophobic, anionic guests;Cations such as Zn2+, Pd2+ and Co3+ have specific functional and structural roles in the constitution of these macrocycles, differentiating their binding affinities and geometries from those found for earlier studied hosts. Pd-catalyzed couplings using t-butylphosphinates are key steps in the synthesis of the ligand. The directed synthesis and preliminary study of an isolable Co(III) complex of the BDAP-ligand is described along with the possible applications of these macrocyclic complexes in catalysis and stereoselective binding.* ftn*Please refer to the dissertation for diagram.