This thesis provides an account of the synthesis and study of fifteen amide-containing polypyridyl ligands, eleven of which are new compounds. These ligands all possess at least one amide moiety, potentially capable of anion binding and one or more pendant pyridyl donor groups as the metal coordinating sites. A further evolution over previously reported compounds is that a majority of the amide compounds incorporate a pre-organised amide component that will constitute the anion binding region. The alkyl and phenyl spacers were utilised to confer flexibility to these compounds and to extend the spacing between the anion binding moiety and the pendant metal complexing groups. The compounds investigated in this work are divided into three categories; (i) unsymmetrical monoamide ligands that possess one amide functional group, one ester protected carboxylate and one external donor pyridyl moiety; (ii) symmetrical flexible amide ligands that possess two or more internal amide groups and two external pyridyl metal coordinating sites, and; (iii) symmetrical amide bridging ligands that incorporate two di-2-pyridylmethylamine chelating motifs. The coordination chemistry and metallo-supramolecular chemistry of these ligands was investigated with a range of late transition metals including cadmium(II), copper(II), cobalt(II), silver(I), zinc(II) and palladium(II). Palladium(II) precursors, with a selection of monodentate or bidentate chelating ancillary blocking ligands, were utilised to form discrete mono- and dinuclear assemblies with a view to investigating anion complexation in solution. Other transition metal precursors were studied with a focus on the synthesis of coordination polymers that display anion coordinating pockets.