Classically, late transition-metal organometallic compounds promote multielectron processes solely through the change in oxidation state of the metal centre. In contrast, uranium typically undergoes single-electron chemistry. However, using redox-active ligands can engage multielectron reactivity at this metal in analogy to transition metals. Here we show that a redox-flexible pyridine(diimine) ligand can stabilize a series of highly reduced uranium coordination complexes by storing one, two or three electrons in the ligand. These species reduce organoazides easily to form uranium-nitrogen multiple bonds with the release of dinitrogen. The extent of ligand reduction dictates the formation of uranium mono-, bis- and tris(imido) products. Spectroscopic and structural characterization of these compounds supports the idea that electrons are stored in the ligand framework and used in subsequent reactivity. Computational analyses of the uranium imido products probed their molecular and electronic structures, which facilitated a comparison between the bonding in the tris(imido) structure and its tris(oxo) analogue.

Planar, low-spin cobalt(II) dialkyl complexes bearing bidentate phosphine ligands, (P-P)Co(CH2SiMe3)2, are active for the hydrogenation of geminal and 1,2-disubstituted alkenes. Hydrogenation of more hindered internal and endocyclic trisubstituted alkenes was achieved through hydroxyl group activation, an approach that also enables directed hydrogenations to yield contrasteric isomers of cyclic alkanes.

Cobalt­(II) dichloride complexes supported by a variety of neutral, tridentate pincer ligands have been prepared and, following in situ activation with NaBEt3H, evaluated for the catalytic borylation of 2-methylfuran, 2,6-lutidine, and benzene using both HBPin and B2Pin2 (Pin = pinacolate) as boron sources. Preparation of well-defined organometallic compounds in combination with stoichiometric experiments with HBPin and B2Pin2 provided insight into the nature and kinetic stability of the catalytically relevant species. In cases where sufficiently electron donating pincers are present, such as with bis­(phosphino)­pyridine chelates, Co­(III) resting states are preferred and catalytic C–H borylation is efficient. Introduction of a redox-active subunit into the pincer reduces its donating ability and, as a consequence, the accessibility of a Co­(III) resting state. In these cases, unusual mixed-valent μ-hydride cobalt complexes have been crystallographically and spectroscopically characterized. These studies have also shed light on the active species formed during in situ activated cobalt alkene hydroboration catalysis and provide important design criteria in base metal catalyzed C–B bond forming reactions.

A new route to single-component iron ethylene oligomerization and polymerization catalysts is described. Treatment of readily synthesized iron butadiene complexes with B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 generated the corresponding betaine compounds, active catalysts for the oligomerization and polymerization of ethylene. The electronic structures of a family of iron compounds bearing tridentate, α-diimine phosphine ligands have been determined, including cases where the neutral donor has dissociated from the metal. In iron-catalyzed ethylene oligomerization with these compounds, the hemilability of the chelate has been identified as a catalyst deactiviation pathway.

Authors describe a procedure for construction of evaluation instruments that clearly are preferred by students, and reflect their views.