α-Phenylthioaldehydes for the effective generation of acyl azolium and azolium enolate intermediates.

α-Phenylthioaldehydes are readily prepared using a simple multi-step procedure and herein are introduced as a new precursor for the NHC-catalysed generation of acyl azolium and azolium enolate intermediates that are of widespread synthetic interest and utility. Treatment of α-phenylthioaldehydes with an NHC precatalyst and base produces an efficient redox rearrangement via a Breslow intermediate, elimination of thiophenolate, and subsequent rebound addition to the generated acyl azolium to give the corresponding thiol ester. In the presence of an external alcohol, competition between redox rearrangement and redox esterification can be controlled through judicious choice of the N-aryl substituent within the NHC precatalyst and the base used in the reaction. With NEt3 as base, NHCs bearing electron-withdrawing (N-C6F5 or N-C6H2Cl3) substituents favour redox rearrangement, while triazolium precatalysts with electron-rich N-aryl substituents (N-Ph, N-Mes) result in preferential redox esterification. Using DBU, redox esterification is preferred due to transesterification of the initially formed thiol ester product. Additionally, α-phenylthioaldehyde-derived azolium enolates have been used in enantioselective formal [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions to access dihydropyridinone heterocycles with high enantioselectivity (up to >95 : 5 dr, 98 : 2 er).

The effect of ancillary ligands on hydrocarbon C-H bond functionalization by uranyl photocatalysts.

The aqueous uranyl dication has long been known to facilitate the UV light-induced decomposition of aqueous VOCs (volatile organic compounds), via the long-lived highly efficient, uranyl excited state. The lower-energy visible light excited uranyl ion is also able to cleave unactivated hydrocarbon C-H bonds, yet the development of this reactivity into controlled and catalytic C-H bond functionalization is still in its infancy, with almost all studies still focused on uranyl nitrate as the precatalyst. Here, hydrocarbon-soluble uranyl nitrate and chloride complexes supported by substituted phenanthroline (Ph2phen) ligands are compared to each other, and to the parent salts, as photocatalysts for the functionalization of cyclooctane by H atom abstraction. Analysis of the absorption and emission spectra, and emission lifetimes of Ph2phen-coordinated uranyl complexes demonstrate the utility of the ligand in light absorption in the photocatalysis, which is related to the energy and kinetic decay profile of the uranyl photoexcited state. Density functional theory computational analysis of the C-H activation steps in the reaction show how a set of dispersion forces between the hydrocarbon substrate and the Ph2phen ligand provide control over the H atom abstraction, and provide predictions of selectivity of H atom abstraction by the uranyl oxo of the ring C-H over the ethyl C-H in an ethylcyclohexane substrate.

Tris(carbene)borates; alternatives to cyclopentadienyls in organolanthanide chemistry.

The chemistry of the tris-carbene anion phenyltris(3-alkyl-imidazoline-2-yliden-1-yl)borate, [C3Me]- ligand, is initiated for f-block metal cations. Neutral, molecular complexes of the form Ln(C3)2I are formed for cerium(III), while a separated ion pair [Ln(C3)2]I forms for ytterbium(III). DFT/QTAIM computational analyses of the complexes and related tridentate tris(pyrazolyl)borate (Tp) - supported analogs demonstrates the anticipated strength of the σ donation and confirms greater covalency in the metal-carbon bonds of the [C3Me]- complexes in comparison with those in the TpMe,Me complexes. The DFT calculations demonstrate the crucial role of THF solvent in accurately reproducing the contrasting molecular and ion-pair geometries observed experimentally for the Ce and Yb complexes.

Controlled monodefluorination and alkylation of C(sp3)-F bonds by lanthanide photocatalysts: importance of metal-ligand cooperativity.

The controlled functionalization of a single fluorine in a CF3 group is difficult and rare. Photochemical C-F bond functionalization of the sp3-C-H bond in trifluorotoluene, PhCF3, is achieved using catalysts made from earth-abundant lanthanides, (CpMe4)2Ln(2-O-3,5- t Bu2-C6H2)(1-C{N(CH)2N(iPr)}) (Ln = La, Ce, Nd and Sm, CpMe4 = C5Me4H). The Ce complex is the most effective at mediating hydrodefluorination and defluoroalkylative coupling of PhCF3 with alkenes; addition of magnesium dialkyls enables catalytic C-F bond cleavage and C-C bond formation by all the complexes. Mechanistic experiments confirm the essential role of the Lewis acidic metal and support an inner-sphere mechanism of C-F activation. Computational studies agree that coordination of the C-F substrate is essential for C-F bond cleavage. The unexpected catalytic activity for all members is made possible by the light-absorbing ability of the redox non-innocent ligands. The results described herein underscore the importance of metal-ligand cooperativity, specifically the synergy between the metal and ligand in both light absorption and redox reactivity, in organometallic photocatalysis.

Covalent bond shortening and distortion induced by pressurization of thorium, uranium, and neptunium tetrakis aryloxides.

Covalency involving the 5f orbitals is regularly invoked to explain the reactivity, structure and spectroscopic properties of the actinides, but the ionic versus covalent nature of metal-ligand bonding in actinide complexes remains controversial. The tetrakis 2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide complexes of Th, U and Np form an isostructural series of crystal structures containing approximately tetrahedral MO4 cores. We show that up to 3 GPa the Th and U crystal structures show negative linear compressibility as the OMO angles distort. At 3 GPa the angles snap back to their original values, reverting to a tetrahedral geometry with an abrupt shortening of the M-O distances by up to 0.1 Å. The Np complex shows similar but smaller effects, transforming above 2.4 GPa. Electronic structure calculations associate the M-O bond shortening with a change in covalency resulting from increased contributions to the M-O bonding by the metal 6d and 5f orbitals, the combination promoting MO4 flexibility at little cost in energy.

Contrasting behaviour under pressure reveals the reasons for pyramidalization in tris(amido)uranium(III) and tris(arylthiolate) uranium(III) molecules.

A range of reasons has been suggested for why many low-coordinate complexes across the periodic table exhibit a geometry that is bent, rather a higher symmetry that would best separate the ligands. The dominating reason or reasons are still debated. Here we show that two pyramidal UX3 molecules, in which X is a bulky anionic ligand, show opposite behaviour upon pressurisation in the solid state. UN″3 (UN3, N″ = N(SiMe3)2) increases in pyramidalization between ambient pressure and 4.08 GPa, while U(SAr)3 (US3, SAr = S-C6H2-tBu3-2,4,6) undergoes pressure-induced planarization. This capacity for planarization enables the use of X-ray structural and computational analyses to explore the four hypotheses normally put forward for this pyramidalization. The pyramidality of UN3, which increases with pressure, is favoured by increased dipole and reduction in molecular volume, the two factors outweighing the slight increase in metal-ligand agostic interactions that would be formed if it was planar. The ambient pressure pyramidal geometry of US3 is favoured by the induced dipole moment and agostic bond formation but these are weaker drivers than in UN3; the pressure-induced planarization of US3 is promoted by the lower molecular volume of US3 when it is planar compared to when it is pyramidal.

A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Arene-Supported Actinide and Ytterbium Tetraphenolate Complexes.

Modular tetraphenolate ligands tethered with a protective arene platform (para-phenyl or para-terphenyl) are used to support mononuclear An(IV) (An = Th, U) complexes with an exceptionally large and open axial coordination site at the metal. The base-free complexes and a series of neutral donor adducts were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopies and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Anionic Th(IV) -ate complexes with an additional axial aryloxide ligand were also synthesized and characterized. The para-phenyl-tethered mononuclear complexes exhibit rare An(IV)-arene interactions, and the An(IV)-arene distance broadly increases with axial donor strength. The para-terphenyl-tethered complexes have almost no interaction with the arene base, isolating the central metal cation. Computational analysis of the mononuclear complexes and their reduced analogues, and Yb(III) congeners, as well as the effect of additional donor ligand binding, seek to elucidate the electronic structure of the metal-arene interactions and establish whether they, or their reduced or oxidized counterparts, could function as molecular qubits.

Actinide tetra-N-heterocyclic carbene 'sandwiches'.

Highly-symmetrical, thorium and uranium octakis-carbene 'sandwich' complexes have been prepared by 'sandwiching' the An(iv) cations between two anionic macrocyclic tetra-NHC ligands, one with sixteen atoms and the other with eighteen atoms. The complexes were characterized by a range of experimental methods and DFT calculations. X-ray crystallography confirms the geometry at the metal centre can be set by the size of the macrocyclic ring, leading to either square prismatic or square anti-prismatic shapes; the geometry of the latter is retained in solution, which also undergoes reversible, electrochemical one-electron oxidation or reduction for the uranium variant. DFT calculations reveal a frontier orbital picture that is similar to thorocene and uranocene, in which the NHC ligands show almost exclusively σ-donation to the metal without π-backbonding.

Instantaneous and Phosphine-Catalyzed Arene Binding and Reduction by U(III) Complexes.

Neutral arenes such as benzene have never been considered suitable ligands for electropositive actinide cations, yet we find that even simple UIII UX3 aryloxide complexes such as U(ODipp)3 bind and reduce arenes spontaneously at room temperature, forming inverse arene sandwich (IAS) complexes XnU(µ-C6D6)UXm (X = ODipp, n=2, m=3; X = OBMes2 n=m=2 or 3) (ODipp = OC6H3iPr2-2,6; Mes = 2,4,6-Me3-C6H2). In some of these cases, further arene reduction has occured as a result of X ligand redistribution. These unexpected spontaneous reactions explain the anomalous spectra and reported lack of further reactivity of strongly reducing UIII centers of U(ODipp)3. Phosphines that are not considered suitable ligands for actinides can catalyze the formation of the IAS complexes. This enables otherwise inaccessible asymmetric and less congested IAS complexes to be isolated and the bonding in this series compared.

Selective oxo ligand functionalisation and substitution reactivity in an oxo/catecholate-bridged UIV/UIV Pacman complex.

The oxo- and catecholate-bridged UIV/UIV Pacman complex [{(py)UIVOUIV(µ-O2C6H4)(py)}(LA)] A (LA = a macrocyclic "Pacman" ligand; anthracenylene hinge between N4-donor pockets, ethyl substituents on meso-carbon atom of each N4-donor pocket) featuring a bent UIV-O-UIV oxo bridge readily reacts with small molecule substrates to undergo either oxo-atom functionalisation or substitution. Complex A reacts with H2O or MeOH to afford [{(py)UIV(µ-OH)2UIV(µ-O2C6H4)(py)}(LA)] (1) and [{(py)UIV(µ-OH)(µ-OMe)UIV(µ-O2C6H4)(py)}(LA)] (2), respectively, in which the bridging oxo ligand in A is substituted for two bridging hydroxo ligands or one bridging hydroxo and one bridging methoxy ligand, respectively. Alternatively, A reacts with either 0.5 equiv. of S8 or 4 equiv. of Se to provide [{(py)UIV(µ-η2:η2-E2)UIV(µ-O2C6H4)(py)}(LA)] (E = S (3), Se (4)) respectively, in which the [E2]2- ion bridges the two UIV centres. To the best of our knowledge, complex A is the first example of either a d- or f-block bimetallic µ-oxo complex that activates elemental chalcogens. Complex A also reacts with XeF2 or 2 equiv. of Me3SiCl to provide [{(py)UIV(µ-X)2UIV(µ-O2C6H4)(py)}(LA)] (X = F (5), Cl (6)), in which the oxo ligand has been substituted for two bridging halido ligands. Reacting A with either XeF2 or Me3SiCl in the presence of O(Bcat)2 at room temperature forms [{(py)UIV(µ-X)(µ-OBcat)UIV(µ-O2C6H4)(py)}(LA)] (X = F (5A), Cl (6A)), which upon heating to 80 °C is converted to 5 and 6, respectively. In order to probe the importance of the bent UIV-O-UIV motif in A on the observed reactivity, the bis(boroxido)-UIV/UIV complex, [{(py)(pinBO)UIVOUIV(OBpin)(py)}(LA)] (B), featuring a linear UIV-O-UIV bond angle was treated with H2O and Me3SiCl. Complex B reacts with two equiv. of either H2O or Me3SiCl to provide [{(py)HOUIVOUIVOH(py)}(LA)] (7) and [{(py)ClUIVOUIVCl(py)}(LA)] (8), respectively, in which reactions occur preferentially at the boroxido ligands, with the µ-oxo ligand unchanged. The formal UIV oxidation state is retained in all of the products 1-8, and selective reactions at the bridging oxo ligand in A is facilitated by: (1) its highly nucleophilic character which is a result of a non-linear UIV-O-UIV bond angle causing an increase in U-O bond covalency and localisation of the lone pairs of electrons on the µ-oxo group, and (2) the presence of the bridging catecholate ligand, which destabilises a linear oxo-bridging geometry and stabilises the resulting products.

Heterotrimetallic {LnOVPt} complexes with antiferromagnetic Ln-V coupling and magnetic memory.

The new PtVO(SOCR)4 lantern complexes, 1 (R = CH3) and 2 (R = Ph) behave as neutral O-donor ligands to Ln(OR)3 with Ln = Ce, Nd. Four heterotrimetallic complexes with linear {LnOVPt} units were prepared: [Ln(ODtbp)3{PtVO(SOCR)4}] (Ln = Ce, 3Ce (R = CH3), 4Ce (R = Ph); Nd, 3Nd (R = CH3), 4Nd (R = Ph); ODtbp = 2,6-ditertbutylphenolate). Magnetic characterization confirms slow magnetic relaxation behaviour and suggests antiferromagnetic coupling across {Ln-O[double bond, length as m-dash]V} in all four complexes, with variations tunable as a function of Ln and R.

Quantum chemical topology and natural bond orbital analysis of M-O covalency in M(OC6H5)4 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ce, Th, Pa, U, Np).

Covalency is complex yet central to our understanding of chemical bonding, particularly in the actinide series. Here we assess covalency in a series of isostructural d and f transition element compounds M(OC6H5)4 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ce, Th, Pa, U, Np) using scalar relativistic hybrid density functional theory in conjunction with the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and interacting quantum atoms (IQA) approaches. The IQA exchange-correlation covalency metric is evaluated for the first time for actinides other than uranium, in order to assess its applicability in the 5f series. It is found to have excellent correlation with NBO and QTAIM covalency metrics, making it a promising addition to the computational toolkit for analysing metal-ligand bonding. Our range of metrics agree that the actinide-oxygen bonds are the most covalent of the elements studied, with those of the heavier group 4 elements the least. Within the early actinide series, Th stands apart from the other three elements considered, being consistently the least covalent.

Metallacyclic actinide catalysts for dinitrogen conversion to ammonia and secondary amines.

Chemists have spent over a hundred years trying to make ambient temperature/pressure catalytic systems that can convert atmospheric dinitrogen into ammonia or directly into amines. A handful of successful d-block metal catalysts have been developed in recent years, but even binding of dinitrogen to an f-block metal cation is extremely rare. Here we report f-block complexes that can catalyse the reduction and functionalization of molecular dinitrogen, including the catalytic conversion of molecular dinitrogen to a secondary silylamine. Simple bridging ligands assemble two actinide metal cations into narrow dinuclear metallacycles that can trap the diatom while electrons from an externally bound group 1 metal, and protons or silanes, are added, enabling dinitrogen to be functionalized with modest but catalytic yields of six equivalents of secondary silylamine per molecule at ambient temperature and pressure.

Author Correction: Metallacyclic actinide catalysts for dinitrogen conversion to ammonia and secondary amines.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Dicerium letterbox-shaped tetraphenolates: f-block complexes designed for two-electron chemistry.

Rare examples of molecular, dinuclear CeIII and PrIII complexes with robust Ln-coordination are accessible by use of the tetraphenolate pTP as a supporting, chelating O-donor ligand platform, pTP = [{2-(OC6H2R2-2,4)2CH}-C6H4-1,4]4- that favours the higher formal oxidation states accessible to rare earths. Two classes of complexes have been made from the platforms; one metallacyclic 2 + 2 [Ln2(pTP)2] framework with a rigid, letterbox-shaped geometry and [Ln(aryloxide)4] core, and one more flexible [(LnX)2(pTP)] with one rare earth ion at either end of the platform. The LnIII letterbox complexes have two K+ counter-cations, one of which sits inside the letterbox, binding the two central arenes of the platform sufficiently strongly that it cannot be displaced by solvent molecules (THF and pyridine) or crown ethers. Oxidation of the CeIII lettterboxes is facile and forms the unusual neutral molecular (CeIV)2 letterbox in which the CeIV reduction potential is -1.83 V vs. Fc/Fc+. The electronic structure of the Ce(iii/iv) complexes was investigated using HERFD-XAS (high energy resolution fluorescence detection X-ray absorption spectroscopy).

Thermal and Photochemical Reduction and Functionalization Chemistry of the Uranyl Dication, [UVIO2]2.

The uranyl ion, [UVIO2]2+, possesses rigorously trans, strongly covalent, and chemically robust U-oxo groups. However, through the use of anaerobic reaction techniques, both one- and two-electron reductive functionalization of the uranyl oxo groups has been discovered and developed. Prior to 2010, this unusual reactivity centered around the reductive silylation of the uranyl ion which entailed conversion of the oxo ligands into siloxy ligands and reductive metalation of the uranyl oxo with Group 1 and f-block metals. This review surveys the large number of new examples of reductive functionalization of the uranyl ion that have been reported since 2010, including reductive borylation and alumination, metalation with d- or f-block metals, and new examples of reductive silylation. Other examples of oxo-group functionalization of [UVIO2]2+ that do not involve reduction, mainly with Group 1 cations, are also covered, along with new advances in the photochemistry of the uranyl(VI) ion that involve the transient formation of formally uranyl(V) [UVO2]+ ion.

A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Versatile Reactivity of an Oxocerium(IV) Complex: Concerted Versus Reductive Addition.

A combined experimental and theoretical investigation on the cerium(IV) oxo complex [(LOEt )2 Ce(=O)(H2 O)]⋅MeC(O)NH2 (1; LOEt - =[Co(η5 -C5 H5 ){P(O)(OEt)2 }3 ]- ) demonstrates that the intermediate spin-state nature of the ground state of the cerium complex is responsible for the versatility of its reactivity towards small molecules such as CO, CO2 , SO2 , and NO. CASSCF calculations together with magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that the ground state of the cerium complex is of multiconfigurational character and comprised of 74 % of CeIV and 26 % of CeIII . The latter is found to be responsible for its reductive addition behavior towards CO, SO2 , and NO. This is the first report to date on the influence of the multiconfigurational ground state on the reactivity of a metal-oxo complex.

Correction: Waste not, want not: CO2 (re)cycling into block polymers.

Correction for 'Waste not, want not: CO2 (re)cycling into block polymers' by Sumesh K. Raman et al., Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 7315-7318.

Waste not, want not: CO2 (re)cycling into block polymers.

A new way to combine two different polymerisation reactions, using a single catalyst, results in efficient block polymer synthesis. The selective polymerisation of mixtures of l-lactide-O-carboxyanhydride and cyclohexene oxide, using a di-zinc catalyst in a one-pot procedure, allows the preparation of poly(l-lactide-b-cyclohexene carbonate). The catalysis near quantitatively recycles the carbon dioxide released during polyester formation into the subsequent polycarbonate block, with an atom economy of up to of 91%.

Applications of boroxide ligands in supporting small molecule activation by U(iii) and U(iv) complexes.

The boroxide ligand [OBAr2]- (Ar = Mes, Trip) is shown to be able to support both UIII and UIV centres for the first time. The synthesis and structures of homoleptic and heteroleptic UIII and UIV complexes are reported. The UX3 complex with larger substituents, [U(OBTrip2)3]2, exhibits greater thermal stability compared to less encumbered [U(OBMes2)3]2 but reacts with a smaller range of the small molecules tested to date. Initial studies on their capacity to participate in small molecule chemistry show that dark purple [U(OBMes2)3]2 binds and/or reductively activates a variety of small molecules such as pyridine-oxide, triphenylphosphineoxide, sulfur, and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. While [U(OBMes2)3]2 shows no reaction with CO or CO2, [U(OBTrip2)3]2 is oxidised by both, in the former case forming [U(OBTrip2)4], and in the latter case forming a small quantity of the structurally characterised µ-carbonate product [(µ-CO3){U(OBTrip2)3}2].