Themed collection In celebration of Richard Andersen’s 75th birthday

This web-theme special issue, encompassing contributions to both ChemComm and Dalton Transactions, celebrates the impact that Richard “Dick” Andersen has had on inorganic and organometallic chemistry, on the occasion of his 75th birthday.

Teaching inorganic chemistry using the primary literature motivates students to learn deeply and to engage with the important discoveries of the field.

Recent developments in the synthesis and reactivity of actinide metallacycles are highlighted.

[(ItBu)Co(CH₂SiMe₃)₂] serves as an efficient, homogeneous olefin hydrogenation catalyst.

A new mixed-valence iron–dinitrogen complex has localized valence by IR and Mossbauer spectroscopies, and slow magnetic relaxation.

The preparation of a novel H-bonding DBU-H⁺ BINOLate-lanthanide complex enabled the synthesis of the first copper-Rare Earth Metal BINOLate complex (CuDBU-REMB).

The synthesis of a (N,C,C) Au(III) catalyst via C_sp³–H bond activation has been achieved following a rational catalyst design approach.

A full house of elementary reactions across a quadruple MoMo bond.

Dimeric and monomeric supported single-site Fe(II) organometallics are active hydrogenation catalysts.

Planar, three-coordinate homoleptic rare earth complexes Ln{N(SiHMe₂)Dipp}₃ (Ln = Sc, Y, and Lu), each containing three secondary Ln↼HSi interactions, react with acetophenone via hydrosilylation, rather than by insertion into the Y–N bond or by enolate formation.

Redox stability of tetravalent Np and Pu in THF is explored, leading to facile access routes into anhydrous Np(III) chemistry.

A well-defined silica-supported molybdenum dioxo species, (SiO)₂Mo(O)₂, prepared via Surface Organometallic Chemistry, is highly active in metathesis upon reaction with organosilicon reducing agent.

A new type of double uranium oxo cation [O–U–O–U–O]⁴⁺ is prepared by selective oxygen-atom abstraction from macrocyclic uranyl complexes using either boranes or silanes.

Homoleptic U(IV) and U(III) amidate complexes have been isolated and characterized; these species undergo an unusual and reversible change in coordination number upon reduction/oxidation.

The accurate determination of the structure in solution of chiral lanthanide complexes is of crucial importance to understand enantioselective catalysis, and the optical and magnetic properties.

Three new uranium species, (C₅Me₅)₂U(N-2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃)(S), (C₅Me₅)₂U(N-2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃)(η²-S₂), and (C₅Me₅)₂U(N-2,6-ⁱPr₂-C₆H₃)(SPMe₃) have been prepared.

Mono- or dimeric structures of Cu(I) complexes of 12aneP₃ macrocycles are obtained depending on the nature of the secondary halide ligand.

Compared to analogous sterically demanding complexes, the methyl derived pincer iridium complex shows enhanced reactivity with H₂ including: rapid isomerization from a cis- to trans-dihydride complex and solvent activation during isomerization.

Lanthanide complexes of 1,8-bis(2′-isopropyltetrazo-5′-yl)-3,6-di-tert-butylcarbazolide adopt geometries that include planar, buckled and tetrazolyl-bridged tridentate, as well as bidentate, bonding modes.

A new versatile titanium metalloligand for the synthesis of redox active d⁰–d⁸ heterometallic complexes.

Thorium chalcogenolates react with bipyridine or terpyridine to form a series of chelate stabilized Th(ER)₄ compounds (E = S, Se; R = Ph, C₆F₅). ⁷⁷Se NMR shows that the eight coordinate structures are maintained in solution. These compounds are thermochromic, with color originating from a visible ligand to ligand charge transfer excitation.

Formation of an agostic hydrogen by protonation of a “tucked-in” bis(pentalene)ditanium complex.

In combination with small and difficult to reduce rare-earth metals pdl′ undergoes CH-bond activations instead of sterically induced reductions to form dimeric complexes with a unique bridging six-membered metallacycle as the central structural motif.

The isolation and characterization of a series of transplutonium coordination complexes provided insight in advancing understanding of how actinide properties change across the 5f-element series.

A systematic study showing how the Sc–X bond affects solid-state ⁴⁵Sc NMR quadrupolar coupling constants in Cp*₂Sc–X.

Syntheses of new asymmetric pincer precursors 1,3-C₆H₄{CH₂P(^tBu,X)}₂ (^tBu,XPCPH; X = Cl, SiMe₃, OPh) and a new class of hybrid donor/acceptor pincer ligands 1,3-C₆H₄{CH₂P(^tBu,R_f)}₂ (^tBu,RfPCPH; R_f = CF₃, C₂F₅) are reported.

Tetrahedral cobalt(II) hydrocarbyl and CO reversibly form acylcobalt, coupling to give α-hydroxyketone compounds, or oxygenation with O₂ to cobalt(II) carboxylates.

Dehydrochlorination of Cp*Ru(IPr)Cl leads to an unusual C–C bond activation, yielding a cyclometalated Ru complex bearing an NHC-C(sp²) ligand. Reactivity studies of cyclometalated Ru complexes were explored.

The redox behaviour of the dimeric tetrairon complex, ([fc(NPⁱPr₂)₂]Fe)₂ (where fc(NPⁱPr₂)₂ = 1,1′-(C₅H₄NPⁱPr₂)₂Fe) has been investigated.

Iron and molybdenum complexes supported by a pincer-type dianionic [NS₂]²⁻ donor were prepared to compare their structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties.

The NIXANTPHOS-based catalyst outperformed the parent ligand Xantphos in Pd catalyzed amination reaction of aryl chlorides at room temperature.