Construction of heterometallic clusters with multiple uranium-metal bonds by using dianionic nitrogen-phosphorus ligands.

Compared with the prevalent metal-metal bond in transition metals, examples of the actinide-metal bond in heterometallic clusters are rare. Herein, a series of heterometallic clusters with multiple uranium-metal bonds has been prepared based on two newly synthesized nitrogen-phosphorus ligands L1 {O[(CH2)2NHP(iPr)2]2} and L2 {[CH2O(CH2)2NHP(iPr)2]2}. Different P-P distances, 6.069 and 4.464 Å, are observed in the corresponding uranium complexes 1 {O[(CH2)2NP(iPr)2]2UCl2} and 2 {[CH2O(CH2)2NP(iPr)2]2UCl2}, respectively, and lead to the different coordination modes with transition metals. The reactions of zero-valent group 10 metal compounds with complex 1 generate heterometallic clusters (3-U2Ni2 and 4-U2Pd2) featuring four uranium-metal bonds; whereas reactions with 2 afford one-dimensional metal-chain 5-(UNi)n, bimetallic species 6-UPd, and a tri-platinum bridged diuranium molecular cluster 7-U2Pt3. Complex 5-(UNi)n represents the first infinite chain containing the U-M bond and 7-U2Pt3 is the first species with multiple U-Pt bonds. This study further highlights the important role of ligands in the construction of multiple uranium-metal bonds and may allow the synthesis of novel d-f heterometallic clusters and the investigation of their applications in catalysis and small-molecule activation.