New chemistry from an old reagent: mono- and dinuclear macrocyclic uranium(III) complexes from [U(BH4)3(THF)2]

J Am Chem Soc. 2014 Jul 23;136(29):10218-21. doi: 10.1021/ja504835a. Epub 2014 Jul 8.

Abstract

A new robust and high-yielding synthesis of the valuable U(III) synthon [U(BH4)3(THF)2] is reported. Reactivity in ligand exchange reactions is found to contrast significantly to that of uranium triiodide. This is exemplified by the synthesis and characterization of azamacrocyclic U(III) complexes, including mononuclear [U(BH4)(L)] and dinuclear [Li(THF)4][{U(BH4)}2(μ-BH4)(L(Me))] and [Na(THF)4][{U(BH4)}2(μ-BH4)(L(A))(THF)2]. The structures of all complexes have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and display two new U(III)2(BH4)3 motifs.