Uranium(iii) and thorium(iv) alkyl complexes as potential starting materials

Andrew C Behrle; Alexander J Myers; Pokpong Rungthanaphatsophon; Wayne W Lukens; Charles L Barnes; Justin R Walensky

doi:10.1039/c6cc08105c

Uranium(iii) and thorium(iv) alkyl complexes as potential starting materials

Chem Commun (Camb). 2016 Dec 13;52(100):14373-14375. doi: 10.1039/c6cc08105c.

Authors

Andrew C Behrle¹, Alexander J Myers¹, Pokpong Rungthanaphatsophon¹, Wayne W Lukens², Charles L Barnes¹, Justin R Walensky¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. WalenskyJ@missouri.edu.
² Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

PMID: 27847956
DOI: 10.1039/c6cc08105c

Abstract

The synthesis and characterisation of a rare U(iii) alkyl complex, U[η⁴-Me₂NC(H)C₆H₅]₃, using the dimethylbenzylamine (DMBA) ligand has been accomplished. While attempting to prepare the U(iv) compound, reduction to the U(iii) complex occurred. In the analogous Th(iv) system, C-H bond activation of a methyl group of one dimethylamine was observed yielding Th[η⁴-Me₂NC(H)C₆H₅]₂[η⁵-(CH₂)MeNC(H)C₆H₅] with a dianionic DMBA ligand. The utility of these complexes as starting materials has been analyzed using a bulky dithiocarboxylate ligand to yield tetravalent actinide species.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.