The electron donating properties of ligands can have significant effects on the reactivity and electronic structure of metals. In the Fortier group, we are synthesizing new ligand systems based on the popular guanidine platform where these ligands are modified to possess unusually strong electron donating abilities. The characterization of these new guanidine ligands, including spectroscopic analyses and assessment of their electron donating properties, along with their reactivity with iron will be discussed. The complexes formed from these reactions will be used to help better understand the reactivity of iron in the presence of extremely strong electron donors. Understanding and researching these fundamental properties of iron and its complexes can lead to better knowledge regarding the role of this metal in metalloenyzmes and provide access to new iron catalysts.