Dimerization and ring-opening in bis(diisopropylamino)cyclopropenylidene (BAC) mediated by [U(NR 2 ) 3 (CCPh)] (R = SiMe 3 ).

Addition of 2 equiv. of bis(diisopropylamino)cyclopropenylidene (BAC) to [U(NR 2 ) 3 (CCPh)] (1, R = SiMe 3 ), in Et 2 O, results in formation of [ cyclo -N( i Pr)C(Me) 2 CH(N i Pr 2 )C{CHC 3 (N i Pr 2 ) 2 }][U(NR 2 ) 2 ( N (SiMe 3 )SiMe 2 C H 2 )(CCPh)] (2) in moderate isolated yield. Complex 2 is the result of coupling and protonation of two BAC molecules, where complex 1 contributes the required proton. It was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography and represents a new mode of reactivity of the cyclopropenylidene fragment.