Early An(IV) complexes with N-donor ligands

The 5f electrons of particularly the early actinides are found to participate in bonding, e.g. to organic ligands, in contrast to the strongly shielded 4f electrons of the lanthanides. Reactivity and complexation strength of such bonds are affected by donor properties of the ligand and the electronic situation of the actinide metal center. Furthermore, coinciding properties of ligand and actinide ion regarding Pearson’s principle of hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) can even drive the development of selective ligands, e.g. for extraction processes. Here, soft N-donor ligands were found to interact stronger with trivalent actinides in comparison to their harder lanthanide analogues.1
To evaluate how these electronic properties can be extended to a series of tetravalent actinides and their interactions with N-donor ligands, we have studied the complexation of tetravalent Th, Pa, U, Np, and Pu with the amidinate (S,S)-N,N’-bis-(1-phenylethyl)-benzamidine (PEBA), and the Schiff base N,N’-ethylene-bis((pyrrole-2-yl)methan¬imine (pyren).2-4
Complex syntheses using one equivalent of AnCl4(dme)x (An = Th, U, Np, Pu; x = 0 for U, x = 2 for Th, Np, Pu) and three equivalents of PEBA, or two equivalents of pyren led to isostructural heteroleptic 3:1 complexes [AnCl(PEBA)3] or homoleptic 2:1 complexes [An(pyren)2]. Both series were analyzed in the solid state by SC-XRD and IR, as well as in solution by NMR spectroscopy. SC-XRD results and quantum chemical calculations (QCC) revealed differences in AnIV–ligand bond length and strength between the different nitrogen donors (Namidinate, Nimine, Npyrrolide). In addition, with the help of QCC, trends regarding the covalency of the metal-ligand bonds could be derived and assigned to the involved orbitals. Delocalization indices for N–PaIV showed a strong preference of the highly polarizable 5f 1 configuration of PaIV to pyren in its homoleptic complex. This effect disappears in the heteroleptic amidinate complex. Calculated quadrupole moments give a first explanation, showing an isotropically distributed charge arround PaIV in [Pa(pyren)2] but a polarization in [PaCl(PEBA)3].
Halogen exchange reactions of Cl in [AnCl(PEBA)3] was successful for F, Br, and N3 (see Fig. 1). NMR spectra revealed a strong effect of the halogen on the paramagnetic shift, potentially again indicating the impact of the halogen on the polarizabiliy of charge arround the tetravalent actinide.