Organouranium chemistry

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Uranocene Uranocene-3D-vdW.png
Uranocene

Organouranium chemistry is the science exploring the properties, structure, and reactivity of organouranium compounds, which are organometallic compounds containing a carbon to uranium chemical bond. [1] The field is of some importance to the nuclear industry and of theoretical interest in organometallic chemistry.

Contents

History

The development of organouranium compounds started in World War II when the Manhattan Project required volatile uranium compounds for 235U/238U isotope separation. For example, Henry Gilman attempted to synthesize compounds like tetramethyluranium, and others worked on uranium metal carbonyls, but none of the efforts met success due to organouranium instability. After the discovery of ferrocene in 1951, Todd Reynolds and Geoffrey Wilkinson in 1956 synthesized the uranium metallocene Cp3UCl from sodium cyclopentadienide and uranium tetrachloride as a stable but extremely air-sensitive compound. In it, the U-Cl bond is an ionic bond, while the bonds with the three cyclopentadienyl ligands are covalent of the type found in sandwich compounds with involvement of the uranium 5f atomic orbitals.

Ernst Otto Fischer in 1962 discovered tetracyclopentadienyluranium Cp4U by reaction of KCp with UCl4 (6% yield) as a compound stable in air as a solid but not in solution. A zero molecular dipole moment and IR spectroscopy revealed that it was also a sandwich compound with uranium in a tetrahedral molecular geometry. In 1970, Fischer added Cp3U to the list of known organouranium compounds by reduction of Cp4U with elemental uranium.

In 1968, the group of Andrew Streitwieser prepared the stable but pyrophoric compound uranocene (COT)2U, which has an atom of uranium sandwiched between two cyclooctatetraenide anions (D8h molecular symmetry). The uranium f orbitals interact substantially with the aromatic rings just as the d-orbitals in ferrocene interact with the Cp ligands. Uranocene differs from ferrocene because its HOMO and LUMO are centered on the metal and not on the rings and all reactions thus involve the metal often resulting in ligand - metal cleavage.

Uranocenes show ease of reduction of U(IV) compounds to U(III) compounds; otherwise they are fairly unreactive. A close relative that does have sufficient reactivity, obtained by reaction of uranocene with uranium borohydride is the half-sandwich compound (COT)U(BH4)2 discovered in 1983 by the group of M.J. Ephritikhine. Compounds of this type react in many different ways, for instance alkylation at uranium with organolithium reagents or conversion to hybrid sandwich compounds.

Other organouranium compounds are inverted uranocenes with a COT ligand in between two uranium atoms or uranium sandwich compounds with pentalenide ligands instead of COT ligands.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metallocene</span>

A metallocene is a compound typically consisting of two cyclopentadienyl anions (C
5
H
5
, abbreviated Cp) bound to a metal center (M) in the oxidation state II, with the resulting general formula (C5H5)2M. Closely related to the metallocenes are the metallocene derivatives, e.g. titanocene dichloride or vanadocene dichloride. Certain metallocenes and their derivatives exhibit catalytic properties, although metallocenes are rarely used industrially. Cationic group 4 metallocene derivatives related to [Cp2ZrCH3]+ catalyze olefin polymerization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organometallic chemistry</span> Study of organic compounds containing metal(s)

Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and sometimes broadened to include metalloids like boron, silicon, and selenium, as well. Aside from bonds to organyl fragments or molecules, bonds to 'inorganic' carbon, like carbon monoxide, cyanide, or carbide, are generally considered to be organometallic as well. Some related compounds such as transition metal hydrides and metal phosphine complexes are often included in discussions of organometallic compounds, though strictly speaking, they are not necessarily organometallic. The related but distinct term "metalorganic compound" refers to metal-containing compounds lacking direct metal-carbon bonds but which contain organic ligands. Metal β-diketonates, alkoxides, dialkylamides, and metal phosphine complexes are representative members of this class. The field of organometallic chemistry combines aspects of traditional inorganic and organic chemistry.

Ferrocene is an organometallic compound with the formula Fe(C5H5)2. The molecule is a complex consisting of two cyclopentadienyl rings bound to a central iron atom. It is an orange solid with a camphor-like odor, that sublimes above room temperature, and is soluble in most organic solvents. It is remarkable for its stability: it is unaffected by air, water, strong bases, and can be heated to 400 °C without decomposition. In oxidizing conditions it can reversibly react with strong acids to form the ferrocenium cation Fe(C5H5)+2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclopentadienyl complex</span> Coordination complex of a metal and Cp⁻ ions

A cyclopentadienyl complex is a coordination complex of a metal and cyclopentadienyl groups. Cyclopentadienyl ligands almost invariably bind to metals as a pentahapto (η5-) bonding mode. The metal–cyclopentadienyl interaction is typically drawn as a single line from the metal center to the center of the Cp ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobaltocene</span> Chemical compound

Cobaltocene, known also as bis(cyclopentadienyl)cobalt(II) or even "bis Cp cobalt", is an organocobalt compound with the formula Co(C5H5)2. It is a dark purple solid that sublimes readily slightly above room temperature. Cobaltocene was discovered shortly after ferrocene, the first metallocene. Due to the ease with which it reacts with oxygen, the compound must be handled and stored using air-free techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hapticity</span> Number of contiguous atoms in a ligand that bond to the central atom in a coordination complex

In coordination chemistry, hapticity is the coordination of a ligand to a metal center via an uninterrupted and contiguous series of atoms. The hapticity of a ligand is described with the Greek letter η ('eta'). For example, η2 describes a ligand that coordinates through 2 contiguous atoms. In general the η-notation only applies when multiple atoms are coordinated. In addition, if the ligand coordinates through multiple atoms that are not contiguous then this is considered denticity, and the κ-notation is used once again. When naming complexes care should be taken not to confuse η with μ ('mu'), which relates to bridging ligands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromocene</span> Chemical compound

Chromocene is the organochromium compound with the formula [Cr(C5H5)2]. Like structurally related metallocenes, chromocene readily sublimes in a vacuum and is soluble in non-polar organic solvents. It is more formally known as bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)chromium(II).

Uranocene, U(C8H8)2, is an organouranium compound composed of a uranium atom sandwiched between two cyclooctatetraenide rings. It was one of the first organoactinide compounds to be synthesized. It is a green air-sensitive solid that dissolves in organic solvents. Uranocene, a member of the "actinocenes," a group of metallocenes incorporating elements from the actinide series. It is the most studied bis[8]annulene-metal system, although it has no known practical applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich compound</span> Chemical compound made of two ring ligands bound to a metal

In organometallic chemistry, a sandwich compound is a chemical compound featuring a metal bound by haptic, covalent bonds to two arene (ring) ligands. The arenes have the formula CnHn, substituted derivatives and heterocyclic derivatives. Because the metal is usually situated between the two rings, it is said to be "sandwiched". A special class of sandwich complexes are the metallocenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bis(benzene)chromium</span> Chemical compound

Bis(benzene)chromium is the organometallic compound with the formula Cr(η6-C6H6)2. It is sometimes called dibenzenechromium. The compound played an important role in the development of sandwich compounds in organometallic chemistry and is the prototypical complex containing two arene ligands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organoactinide chemistry</span> Study of chemical compounds containing actinide-carbon bonds

Organoactinide chemistry is the science exploring the properties, structure, and reactivity of organoactinide compounds, which are organometallic compounds containing a carbon to actinide chemical bond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodocene</span> Organometallic chemical compound

Rhodocene is a chemical compound with the formula [Rh(C5H5)2]. Each molecule contains an atom of rhodium bound between two planar aromatic systems of five carbon atoms known as cyclopentadienyl rings in a sandwich arrangement. It is an organometallic compound as it has (haptic) covalent rhodium–carbon bonds. The [Rh(C5H5)2] radical is found above 150 °C (302 °F) or when trapped by cooling to liquid nitrogen temperatures (−196 °C [−321 °F]). At room temperature, pairs of these radicals join via their cyclopentadienyl rings to form a dimer, a yellow solid.

Ligand bond number (LBN) represents the effective total number of ligands or ligand attachment points surrounding a metal center, labeled M. More simply, it represents the number of coordination sites occupied on the metal. Based on the covalent bond classification method, the equation for determining ligand bond number is as follows:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetrakis(cyclopentadienyl)uranium(IV)</span> An organouranium compound

Tetrakis(cyclopentadienyl)uranium(IV), U(C5H5)4, abbreviated U(Cp)4, is an organouranium compound composed of a uranium atom sandwiched between four cyclopentadienide rings.

In organometallic chemistry, f-block metallocenes are a class of sandwich compounds consisting of an f-block metal and a set of electron-rich ligands such as the cyclopentadienyl anion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plutonocene</span> Chemical compound

Plutonocene, Pu(C8H8)2, is an organoplutonium compound composed of a plutonium atom sandwiched between two cyclooctatetraenide (COT2-) rings. It is a dark red, very air-sensitive solid that is sparingly soluble in toluene and chlorocarbons. Plutonocene is a member of the actinocene family of metallocenes incorporating actinide elements in the +4 oxidation state.

Magnesocene, also known as bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium(II) and sometimes abbreviated as MgCp2, is an organometallic compound with the formula Mg(η5-C5H5)2. It is an example of an s-block main group sandwich compound, structurally related to the d-block element metallocenes, and consists of a central magnesium atom sandwiched between two cyclopentadienyl rings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)aluminium(I)</span> Chemical compound

(Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)aluminium(I) is an organometallic compound with the formula Al(C5Me5) ("Me" is a methyl group; CH3). The compound is often abbreviated to AlCp* or Cp*Al, where Cp* is the pentamethylcyclopentadienide anion (C5Me5). Discovered in 1991 by Dhmeier et al., AlCp* serves as the first ever documented example of a room temperature stable monovalent aluminium compound. In its isolated form, Cp*Al exists as the tetramer [Cp*Al]4, and is a yellow crystal that decomposes at temperatures above 100 °C but also sublimes at temperatures above 140 °C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allotropes of arsenic</span>

Arsenic in the solid state can be found as gray, black, or yellow allotropes. These various forms feature diverse structural motifs, with yellow arsenic enabling the widest range of reactivity. In particular, reaction of yellow arsenic with main group and transition metal elements results in compounds with wide-ranging structural motifs, with butterfly, sandwich and realgar-type moieties featuring most prominently.

A molecular electron-reservoir complex is one of a class of redox-active systems which can store and transfer electrons stoichiometrically or catalytically without decomposition. The concept of electron-reservoir complexes was introduced by the work of French chemist, Didier Astruc. From Astruc's discoveries, a whole family of thermally stable, neutral, 19-electron iron(I) organometallic complexes were isolated and characterized, and found to have applications in redox catalysis and electrocatalysis. The following page is a reflection of the prototypal electron-reservoir complexes discovered by Didier Astruc.

References

  1. D. Seyferth (2004). "Uranocene. The First Member of a New Class of Organometallic Derivatives of the f Elements". Organometallics . 23 (15): 3562–3583. doi: 10.1021/om0400705 .