Homoleptic uranium and lanthanide phosphinodiboranates.

Here we report a new class of homoleptic f-element borohydride complexes called phosphinodiboranates. Treating UI3(1,4-dioxane)1.5, NdI3, or ErI3, with three equiv. of K(H3BPtBu2BH3) in Et2O yielded M2(H3BPtBu2BH3)6, where M = U, Nd, and Er. All three complexes form solid-state dimers, but exist as mixtures of monomers and dimers in solution.