Polarised covalent thorium(IV)- and uranium(IV)-silicon bonds

Chem Commun (Camb). 2020 Oct 20;56(83):12620-12623. doi: 10.1039/d0cc06044e.

Abstract

We report the synthesis and characterisation of isostructural thorium(iv)- and uranium(iv)-silanide actinide (An) complexes, providing an opportunity to directly compare Th-Si and U-Si chemical bonds. Quantum chemical calculations show significant and surprisingly similar An%:Si%, 7s-, 6d-, and 5f-orbital contributions from both elements in polarised covalent An-Si bonds, and marginally greater covalency in the U-Si vs. Th-Si linkages.