Maria Augusta Antunes

Single-ion magnet behaviour in [U(Tp(Me2))(2)I].

[U(Tp(Me2))(2)I] exhibits at low temperatures single molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour comparable to its bipyridine derivative and related single ion U(III) complexes recently reported as SMMs. The trend of variation of the energy barrier for the magnetic relaxation in these compounds is well reproduced by quantum chemistry calculations.

Two-electron versus one-electron reduction of chalcogens by uranium(III): synthesis of a terminal U(V) persulfide complex

The reaction of the tripodal tris-amido U(III) complex [U{(SiMe2NPh)3–tacn}] (tacn = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane), 1, with 0.0625 and 0.25 equiv. of elemental sulfur affords the sulfide-bridged U(IV) complex [{U((SiMe2NPh)3–tacn)}2(μ-S)], 2, and the terminal persulfide U(V) complex [U{(SiMe2NPh)3–tacn}(η2-S2)], 4, respectively, in good yield. Two different electronic structures, U(V) persulfide and U(IV) supersulfide, were computed for complex 4 at the DFT level. The results show that complex 4 is best described as a U(V) persulfide species with a significant sulfur contribution. X-ray, magnetism and electrochemistry data support this description. Complex 4 is the first example of a terminal U(V) persulfide and of a two-electron reduction of S8 by a U(III) complex. Complex 4 behaves as a S-atom transfer agent when reacted with PPh3, affording the persulfide-bridged diuranium(IV) complex [{U((SiMe2NPh)3–tacn)}2(μ-η2:η2-S2)], 5, and SPPh3.

Crystal structure diversity in the bis[hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate]iodouranium(III) complex: from neutral to cationic forms

The iodouranium(III) complex with two hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate ligands is shown to adopt three closely related forms in the solid state. In addition to the previously reported structure for [U(Tp(Me2))2I], in which one of the pyrazolyl rings coordinates side-on to the U atom, another structure incorporating solvent molecules presents undistorted pyrazol rings, and a third one is the ionic compound [U(Tp(Me2))2]I. The implications of this structural diversity for the recently reported single ion magnet behaviour in this complex are discussed, namely on the basis of quantum chemistry calculations. The main effect of the bonding of the iodine atom to uranium is the increase of the size of the first coordination sphere and lowering of the symmetry of the molecule, resulting in a smaller crystal field splitting.

A Mononuclear Uranium(IV) Single‐Molecule Magnet with an Azobenzene Radical Ligand

A tetravalent uranium compound with a radical azobenzene ligand, namely, [{(SiMe2 NPh)3 -tacn}U(IV) (η(2) -N2 Ph2 (.) )] (2), was obtained by one-electron reduction of azobenzene by the trivalent uranium compound [U(III) {(SiMe2 NPh)3 -tacn}] (1). Compound 2 was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and (1) H NMR, IR, and UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy. The magnetic properties of 2 and precursor 1 were studied by static magnetization and ac susceptibility measurements, which for the former revealed single-molecule magnet behaviour for the first time in a mononuclear U(IV) compound, whereas trivalent uranium compound 1 does not exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization at low temperatures. A first approximation to the magnetic behaviour of these compounds was attempted by combining an effective electrostatic model with a phenomenological approach using the full single-ion Hamiltonian.

Synthesis and reactivity of uranium(IV) amide complexes supported by a triamidotriazacyclononane ligand

Reaction of [U{(SiMe2NPh)3-tacn}Cl] with LiNEt2 or LiNPh2 affords the corresponding amide compounds, [U{(SiMe2NPh)3-tacn}(NR2)] (R = Et (1), R = Ph (2)). The complexes have been fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and the solid-state structure of 1 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The six nitrogen atoms of the tris(dimethylsilylanilide)triazacyclononane ligand are in a trigonal prismatic configuration with the nitrogen atom of the diethylamide ligand capping one of the trigonal faces of the trigonal prism. Crystallization of 2 from CH3CN solution gave crystals of the six-membered heterocycle [U{(SiMe2NPh)3-tacn}{kappa2-(HNC(Me))2CC[triple bond]N}] (3). The reactivity of the amides was investigated. Both compounds undergo acid-base reactions with protic substrates such as HOC6H2-2,4,6-Me3, 3,5-Me2pzH (pz = pyrazolyl) and HSC5H4N to give the corresponding [U{(SiMe2NPh)3-tacn}X] (X = OC6H2-2,4,6-Me3 (4), 3,5-Me2pzH (5), kappa2-SC5H4N (6)) complexes. The solid-state structures of and were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and revealed that the compounds are eight-coordinate with dodecahedral geometry.

The uranium–nitrogen bond in U(IV) complexes supported by the hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate ligand

Insertion of benzonitrile and acetonitrile into the U-C bond of [U(Tp(Me2))Cl(2)(CH(2)SiMe(3))](Tp(Me2)= HB(3,5-Me(2)pz)(3)) gives the ketimide complexes [U(Tp(Me2))Cl(2){NC(R)(CH(2)SiMe(3))}](R = Ph (1); Me (2)). The identity of complex was ascertained by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. In the solid state exhibits octahedral geometry with a short U-N bond length to the ketimide ligand. We also report herein the synthesis and the X-ray crystal structures of the uranium amide complexes [U(Tp(Me2))Cl(2)(NR(2))](R = Et (3); Ph (4)). A detailed comparison of the U-N bond lengths in these compounds with other known U-N (and Th-N) distances in amide and ketimide actinide(IV) complexes is performed, confirming the short character of the U-N bond length in 1.