Issue 1, 2015

Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of crystalline molecular complexes of the {[C5H3(SiMe3)2]3Th}1− anion containing thorium in the formal +2 oxidation state

Abstract

Reduction of the Th3+ complex Cp′′3Th, 1 [Cp′′ = C5H3(SiMe3)2], with potassium graphite in THF in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand generates [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp′′3Th], 2, a complex containing thorium in the formal +2 oxidation state. Reaction of 1 with KC8 in the presence of 18-crown-6 generates the analogous Th2+ compound, [K(18-crown-6)(THF)2][Cp′′3Th], 3. Complexes 2 and 3 form dark green solutions in THF with ε = 23 000 M−1 cm−1, but crystallize as dichroic dark blue/red crystals. X-ray crystallography revealed that the anions in 2 and 3 have trigonal planar coordination geometries, with 2.521 and 2.525 Å Th–(Cp′′ ring centroid) distances, respectively, equivalent to the 2.520 Å distance measured in 1. Density functional theory analysis of (Cp′′3Th)1− is consistent with a 6d2 ground state, the first example of this transition metal electron configuration. Complex 3 reacts as a two-electron reductant with cyclooctatetraene to make Cp′′2Th(C8H8), 4, and [K(18-crown-6)]Cp′′.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of crystalline molecular complexes of the {[C5H3(SiMe3)2]3Th}1− anion containing thorium in the formal +2 oxidation state

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
02 Oct 2014
Accepted
15 Oct 2014
First published
03 Nov 2014
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2015,6, 517-521

Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of crystalline molecular complexes of the {[C5H3(SiMe3)2]3Th}1− anion containing thorium in the formal +2 oxidation state

R. R. Langeslay, M. E. Fieser, J. W. Ziller, F. Furche and W. J. Evans, Chem. Sci., 2015, 6, 517 DOI: 10.1039/C4SC03033H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements