Isostructural σ-hydrocarbyl phospholide complexes of uranium, neptunium, and plutonium

Abstract

σ-Hydrocarbyl complexes of the form [M(η⁵-PC₄Me₄)₂(μ-η¹:η⁶-CH₂Ph)₂K(η⁶-arene)] (M = La, Ce, Pr, U, Np, Pu; arene = benzene or toluene) were synthesised in one-pot reactions from [MI₃(THF)₄], or [U(BH₄)₃(toluene)] (M = U). All complexes were examined by multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C{¹H}, ³¹P{¹H}) NMR and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction from which molecular metal–phosphorus bonds for Np and Pu, and a σ-hydrocarbyl metal–carbon bond for Pu, have been structurally authenticated.