Lanthanides and actinides: Annual survey of their organometallic chemistry covering the year 2018

Construction of metal-organic nanostructures and their structural transformations on metal surfaces

Metal-organic nanostructures, composed of organic molecules as building blocks and metal atoms as linkers, exhibit high reversibility and flexibility and open up new vistas for the creation of novel metal-organic nanomaterials and the fabrication of functional molecule-based nanodevices. With the rapid development of emerging surface science and scanning probe microscopy, various metal-organic nanostructures, ranging from zero to two dimensions, have been prepared with atomic precision on well-defined metal surfaces in a bottom-up manner and further visualized at the submolecular (or even atomic) level. In such processes, the metal-organic interactions involved and the synergy and competition of multiple intermolecular interactions have been clearly discriminated as the cause of the diversity and preference of metal-organic nanostructures. Moreover, structural transformations can be controllably directed by subtly tuning such intermolecular interactions. In this perspective, we review recent exciting progress in the construction of metal-organic nanostructures on metal surfaces ranging from zero to two dimensions, which is mainly in terms of the selection of metal types (including sources), in other words, different metal-organic interactions formed. Subsequently, the corresponding structural transformations in response to internal or external conditions are discussed, providing mechanistic insights into precise structural control, e.g., by means of metal/molecule stoichiometric ratios (including through scanning probe microscopy (SPM) manipulations), thermodynamic control, introduction of extrinsic competing counterparts, etc. In addition, some other regulatory factors, such as the functionalization of organic molecules and the choice of substrates and lattices, which also crucially govern the structural transformations, are briefly mentioned in each part. Finally, some potential perspectives for metal-organic nanostructures are evoked.

Formation of a Decanuclear Organometallic Dysprosium Complex via a Radical-Radical Cross-Coupling Reaction

Over the years, polynuclear cyclic or torus complexes have attracted increasing interest due to their unique metal topologies and properties. However, the isolation of polynuclear cyclic organometallic complexes is extremely challenging due to their inherent reactivity, which stems from the labile and reactive metal-carbon bonds. In this study, the pyrazine ligand undergoes a radical-radical cross-coupling reaction leading to the formation of a decanuclear [(Cp*)20Dy10(L1)10] ⋅ 12(C7H8) (1; where L1 = anion of 2-prop-2-enyl-2H-pyrazine; Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complex, where all DyIII metal centres are bridged by the anionic L1 ligand. Amongst the family of polynuclear Ln organometallic complexes bearing CpR 2Lnx units (CpR = substituted cyclopentadienyl), 1 features the highest nuclearity obtained to date. In-depth computational studies were conducted to elucidate the proposed reaction mechanism and formation of L1, while probing of the magnetic properties of 1, revealed slow magnetic relaxation upon application of a static dc field.

Mechanochemistry for Organic and Inorganic Synthesis

In recent years, mechanochemistry has become an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional solvent-based synthesis. Mechanochemistry rapidly expanded across a wide range of chemistry fields, including diverse organic compounds and active pharmaceutical ingredients, coordination compounds, organometallic complexes, main group frameworks, and technologically relevant materials. This Review aims to highlight recent advancements and accomplishments in mechanochemistry, underscoring its potential as a viable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional solution-based methods in the field of synthetic chemistry.

Alpha-metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine rare-earth metal complexes and their catalytic applications

This perspective summarizes our group's extensive research in the realm of organometallic lanthanide complexes, while also placing the catalytic reactions supported by these species within the context of known lanthanide catalysis worldwide, with a specific focus on phosphorus-based catalytic reactions such as intermolecular hydrophosphination and hydrophosphinylation. α-Metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine ligands have been utilized to generate homoleptic lanthanide complexes, which have subsequently proven to be highly active lanthanum-based catalysts. The main goal of our research program has been to enhance the catalytic efficiency of lanthanum-based complexes, which began with initial successes in the stoichiometric synthesis of organometallic lanthanide complexes and utilization of these species in catalytic hydrophosphination reactions. Not only have these species supported traditional lanthanide catalysis, such as the hydrophosphination of heterocumulenes like carbodiimides, isocyanates, and isothiocyanates, but they have also been effective for a plethora of catalytic reactions tested thus far, including the hydrophosphinylation and hydrophosphorylation of nitriles, hydrophosphination and hydrophosphinylation of alkynes and alkenes, and the heterodehydrocoupling of silanes and amines. Each of these catalytic transformations is meritorious in its own right, offering new synthetic routes to generate organic scaffolds with enhanced functionality while concurrently minimizing both waste generation and energy consumption. Objectives: We aim for the research summary presented herein to inspire and encourage other researchers to investigate f-element based stoichiometric and catalytic reactions. Our efforts in this field began with the recognition that potassium salts of benzyldimethylamine preferred deprotonation at the α-position, rather than the ortho-position, and we wondered if this regiochemistry would be retained in the formation of lanthanide complexes. The pursuit of this simple idea led first to a series of structurally fascinating homoleptic organometallic lanthanide complexes with surprisingly good stability. Fundamental studies of the protonolysis chemistry of these complexes ultimately revealed highly versatile lanthanide-based precatalysts that have propelled a catalytic investigation spanning more than a decade. We anticipate that this summative perspective will animate the synthetic as well as biological communities to consider La(DMBA)3-based catalytic methods in the synthesis of functionalized organic scaffolds as an atom-economic, convenient, and efficient methodology. Ultimately, we envision our work making a positive impact on the advancement of novel chemical transformations and contributing to progress in various fields of science and technology.

Metallacyclosilanes of Calcium, Yttrium, and Iron

Utilizing a choice of α,ω-oligosilanylene diides, it is possible to synthesize a number of heterocyclosilanes with heteroelements of calcium, yttrium, and iron by metathesis reactions with respective metal halides CaI₂, YCl₃, and FeBr₂. ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopic analysis of the calcacyclosilanes suggests that these compounds retain a strong oligosilanylene dianion character, which is more pronounced than in the analogous magnesacyclosilanes. As the electronegativity of calcium lies between potassium and magnesium, silyl calcium reagents should be considered as building blocks with an attractive reactivity profile. Reaction of a 1,4-oligosilanylene diide with YCl₃ gave the five-membered yttracyclosilane as an ate-complex with two chlorides still attached to the yttrium atom. Reaction of the obtained compound with two equivalents of NaCp led to another five-membered yttracyclosilane ate-complex with an yttracene fragment. When using a dianionic oligosilanylene ligand containing a siloxane unit, the siloxane oxygen acted as an additional coordination site for Ca and Y. When the same ligand was used to prepare a cyclic 1-ferra-4-oxatetrasilacyclohexane, an analogous transannular interaction between the iron and oxygen atoms is missing.

Reactions of some α,ω-oligosilanylene diides with CaI₂, YCl₃, and FeBr₂ allow convenient access to metallocyclosilanes with Ca, Y, and Fe as heteroatoms. The calcium and yttrium compounds resemble previously prepared magnesacyclosilanes, retaining a strong silanide character. The only related compounds to the described ferracyclosilanes are acyclic examples.

An Allyl Uranium(IV) Sandwich Complex: Are ϕ Bonding Interactions Possible?

A method to explore head-to-head ϕ back-bonding from uranium f-orbitals into allyl π* orbitals has been pursued. Anionic allyl groups were coordinated to uranium with tethered anilide ligands, then the products were investigated by using NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal XRD, and theoretical methods. The (allyl)silylanilide ligand, N-((dimethyl)prop-2-enylsilyl)-2,6-diisopropylaniline (LH), was used as either the fully protonated, singly deprotonated, or doubly deprotonated form, thereby highlighting the stability and versatility of the silylanilide motif. A free, neutral allyl group was observed in UI2 (L1)2 (1), which was synthesized by using the mono-deprotonated ligand [K][N-((dimethyl)prop-2-enyl)silyl)-2,6-diisopropylanilide] (L1). The desired homoleptic sandwich complex U[L2]2 (2) was prepared from all three ligand precursors, but the most consistent results came from using the dipotassium salt of the doubly deprotonated ligand [K]2 [N-((dimethyl)propenidesilyl)-2,6-diisopropylanilide] (L2). This allyl-based sandwich complex was studied by using theoretical techniques with supporting experimental spectroscopy to investigate the potential for phi (ϕ) back-bonding. The bonding between UIV and the allyl fragments is best described as ligand-to-metal electron donation from a two carbon fragment-localized electron density into empty f-orbitals.

Late Lanthanide Macrocyclic Tetra-NHC Complexes

An isostructural set of macrocyclic tetra-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes were synthesized on late lanthanides including Lu, Yb, Ho, Dy, and Gd. They were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, multinuclear NMR, electrochemistry, and SQUID magnetometry. Solid-state structures show that all complexes are in a highly distorted square-pyramidal geometry with an axial HMDS ligand. ¹H NMR for Lu, Yb, and Dy demonstrates that these geometries are maintained in solution. Electrochemical measurements on the Yb complex show that the NHCs are very strong σ-donors compared to other organometallic Yb complexes. Magnetic measurements of the Yb and Dy complexes reveal slow relaxation of the magnetization in both complexes. The highly anisotropic Dy complex possesses an energy barrier to spin reversal of 52.42 K/36.43 cm^-1 and waist-restricted hysteresis up to 2.8 K. Finally, an 18-atom macrocycle variant of the Lu complex was synthesized for comparison in reactivity and stability. These complexes are the first lanthanides prepared with macrocyclic NHCs and suggest that NHCs may be a promising ligand for developing single-molecule magnets.

A thermostable terbium(III) complex with high fluorescence quantum yields

A novel complex (C6H16N)3[Tb2(Hsal)3(NO3)6] (1) was synthesised and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The PXRD indicate that the complex 1 is stable after heating at 180°C for half an hour. More...

Actinide Coordination Chemistry on Surfaces: Synthesis, Manipulation, and Properties of Thorium Bis(porphyrinato) Complexes

Actinide-based metal-organic complexes and coordination architectures encompass intriguing properties and functionalities but are still largely unexplored on surfaces. We introduce the in situ synthesis of actinide tetrapyrrole complexes under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, on both a metallic support and a 2D material. Specifically, exposure of a tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) multilayer to an elemental beam of thorium followed by a temperature-programmed reaction and desorption of surplus molecules yields bis(porphyrinato)thorium (Th(TPP)₂) assemblies on Ag(111) and hexagonal boron nitride/Cu(111). A multimethod characterization including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, and complementary density functional theory modeling provides insights into conformational and electronic properties. Supramolecular assemblies of Th(TPP)₂ as well as individual double-deckers are addressed with submolecular precision, e.g., demonstrating the reversible rotation of the top porphyrin in Th(TPP)₂ by molecular manipulation. Our findings thus demonstrate prospects for actinide-based functional nanoarchitectures.

Noncovalent Interactions at Lanthanide Complexes

Lanthanide complexes have attracted a widespread attention due to their structural diversity, as well as multifunctional and tunable properties. The development of lanthanide based functional materials has often relied on the design of the secondary coordination sphere of the corresponding lanthanide complexes. For instance, usually simple lanthanide salts (solvento complexes) do not catalyze effectively organic reactions or provide low yield of the expected product, whereas the presence of a suitable organic ligand with a noncovalent bond donor or acceptor centre (secondary coordination sphere) modifies the symmetry around the metal centre in lanthanide complexes which then successfully can act as catalysts in both homogenous and heterogenous catalysis. In this minireview, we discuss several relevant examples, based on X-ray crystal structure analyses, in which the hydrogen, halogen, chalcogen, pnictogen, tetrel and rare-earth bonds, as well as cation-π, anion-π, lone pair-π, π-π and pancake interactions, are used as a synthon in the decoration of the secondary coordination sphere of lanthanide complexes.

Vibronic transitions and spin-orbit coupling of three-membered metallacycles formed by lanthanide-mediated dehydrogenation of dimethylamine

Metal-mediated N-H and C-H bond activation of aliphatic amines is an effective strategy for synthesizing biologically important molecules. Ln (Ln = La and Ce) atom reactions with dimethylamine are carried out in a pulsed-laser vaporization supersonic molecular beam source. A series of dehydrogenation species are observed with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the dehydrogenated Ln-containing species in the formula Ln(CH₂NCH₃) are characterized by single-photon mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The theoretical calculations include density functional theory for both Ln species and multiconfiguration self-consistent field and quasi-degenerate perturbation theory for the Ce species. The MATI spectrum of La(CH₂NCH₃) consists of a single vibronic band system, which is assigned to the ionization of the doublet ground state of N-methyl-lanthanaaziridine. The MATI spectrum of Ce(CH₂NCH₃) displays two vibronic band systems, which are attributed to the ionization of two-pair lowest-energy spin-orbit coupling states of N-methyl-ceraaziridine. Both metallaaziridines are three-membered metallacycles and formed by the thermodynamically and kinetically favorable concerted dehydrogenation of the amino group and one of the methyl groups.

Actinide tetra-N-heterocyclic carbene 'sandwiches'

Highly-symmetrical, thorium and uranium octakis-carbene 'sandwich' complexes have been prepared by 'sandwiching' the An(iv) cations between two anionic macrocyclic tetra-NHC ligands, one with sixteen atoms and the other with eighteen atoms. The complexes were characterized by a range of experimental methods and DFT calculations. X-ray crystallography confirms the geometry at the metal centre can be set by the size of the macrocyclic ring, leading to either square prismatic or square anti-prismatic shapes; the geometry of the latter is retained in solution, which also undergoes reversible, electrochemical one-electron oxidation or reduction for the uranium variant. DFT calculations reveal a frontier orbital picture that is similar to thorocene and uranocene, in which the NHC ligands show almost exclusively σ-donation to the metal without π-backbonding.

Efficient Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates from Unsaturated Acids and Carbon Dioxide and their Application in the Synthesis of Biobased Polyurethanes

Bio-derived furan- and diacid-derived cyclic carbonates have been synthesized in high yields from terminal epoxides and CO₂ . Furthermore, four highly substituted terpene-derived cyclic carbonates were isolated in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity in some cases. Eleven new cyclic carbonates derived from 10-undecenoic acid under mild reaction conditions were prepared, providing the corresponding carbonate products in excellent yields. The catalyst system also performed the conversion of an epoxidized fatty acid n-pentyl ester into a cyclic carbonate under relatively mild reaction conditions (80 °C, 20 bar, 24 h). This bis(cyclic carbonate) was obtained in high yields and with different cis/trans ratios depending on the co-catalyst used. An allyl alcohol by-product was only observed as a minor product when bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride was used as co-catalyst. Finally, two cyclic carbonates were used as building blocks for the preparation of non-isocyanate poly(hydroxy)urethanes by reaction with 1,4-diaminobutane.

How the Ancillary Ligand X Drives the Redox Properties of Biscyclopentadienyl Pentavalent Uranium Cp2U(═N-Ar)X Complexes

Relativistic zero order regular approximation (ZORA) density functional theory computations, coupled with the conductor-like screening model for solvation effects, are used to investigate the redox properties of a series of biscyclopentadienyl pentavalent uranium(V) complexes Cp₂U(═N-Ar)X (Ar = 2,6-Me₂-C₆H₃; X = OTf, C₆F₅, SPh, C═CPh, NPh₂, Ph, Me, OPh, N(TMS)₂, N═CPh₂). Regarding the U^V/U^IV and U^VI/U^V couple systems, a linear correlation (R² ∼ 0.99) is obtained at the ZORA/BP86/TZP level, between the calculated ionization energies and the measured experimental E_1/2 half-wave oxidation potentials (U^VI/U^V) and between the electron affinities and the reduction potentials E_1/2 (U^V/U^IV). The study brings to light the importance of solvation effects that are needed in order to achieve a good agreement between the theory and experiment. Introducing spin-orbit coupling corrections slightly improves this agreement. Both the singly occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the neutral U^V complexes exhibit a majority 5f orbital character. The frontier molecular orbitals show a substantial ancillary ligand X σ and/or π character that drives the redox properties. Moreover, our investigations allow estimating the redox potentials of the X = Ph, X = C₆F₅, and N(TMS)₂ U^V complexes for which no experimental electrochemical data exist.

Organometallic complexes of neodymium: an overview of synthetic methodologies based on coordinating elements

Organometallic complexes of neodymium have unique coordinating ability to form both micro and macromolecules as well as metal-based polymers. These complexes have been reported in different fields and play a tremendous role in luminescence, catalytic, biological and magnetic applications. So, the current study will comprise all possible routes for the synthesis of organometallic complexes of neodymium. Neodymium complexes have been synthesized of single, double, triple and tetra linkages with H, C, N, O as well as S, B, and X. The detailed synthetic routes have been classified into four categories but in brief, neodymium forms complexes by reacting metal chloride, nitrate or oxide (hydrated or dehydrated) as precursor along with appropriate ligand. Most applied solvents for neodymium complexes were Toluene and THF. These complexes required a range of temperature based on the nature of complexes as well as linkages. The authors have surveyed the research work published through 2011–2020 and provide a comprehensive overview to understand the synthetic routes of organometallic complexes of neodymium.

Tris-{hydridotris(1-pyrazolyl)borato}actinide Complexes: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Crystal Structure, Bonding Properties and Magnetic Behaviour

The isostructural compounds of the trivalent actinides uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, and curium with the hydridotris(1-pyrazolyl)borato (Tp) ligand An[η3 -HB(N2 C3 H3 )3 ]3 (AnTp3 ) have been obtained through several synthetic routes. Structural, spectroscopic (absorption, infrared, laser fluorescence) and magnetic characterisation of the compounds were performed in combination with crystal field, density functional theory (DFT) and relativistic multiconfigurational calculations. The covalent bonding interactions were analysed in terms of the natural bond orbital (NBO) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) models.