New tetradentate Schiff base chloro complexes of U(iv) and Th(iv) are prepared by salt metathesis approaches. These compounds undergo clean salt metathesis with NaN3 to generate stable pseudo-trans azide compounds. The uranium dichloro complex also undergoes 2 e- oxidation with excess NaNO2 to generate the uranyl derivative. All classes of complexes are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy.