No abstract

The most common motif in uranium chemistry is the d(0)f(0) uranyl ion [UO(2)](2+) in which the oxo groups are rigorously linear and inert. Alternative geometries, such as the cis-uranyl, have been identified theoretically and implicated in oxo-atom transfer reactions that are relevant to environmental speciation and nuclear waste remediation. Single electron reduction is now known to impart greater oxo-group reactivity, but with retention of the linear OUO motif, and reactions of the oxo groups to form new covalent bonds remain rare. Here, we describe the synthesis, structure, reactivity and magnetic properties of a binuclear uranium-oxo complex. Formed through a combination of reduction and oxo-silylation and migration from a trans to a cis position, the new butterfly-shaped Si-OUO(2)UO-Si molecule shows remarkably strong U(V)-U(V) coupling and chemical inertness, suggesting that this rearranged uranium oxo motif might exist for other actinide species in the environment, and have relevance to the aggregation of actinide oxide clusters.

f Orbital bonding in actinide and lanthanide complexes is critical to their behavior in a variety of areas from separations to magnetic properties. Octahedral f(1) hexahalide complexes have been extensively used to study f orbital bonding due to their simple electronic structure and extensive spectroscopic characterization. The recent expansion of this family to include alkyl, alkoxide, amide, and ketimide ligands presents the opportunity to extend this study to a wider variety of ligands. To better understand f orbital bonding in these complexes, the existing molecular orbital (MO) model was refined to include the effect of covalency on spin orbit coupling in addition to its effect on orbital angular momentum (orbital reduction). The new MO model as well as the existing MO model and the crystal field (CF) model were applied to the octahedral f(1) complexes to determine the covalency and strengths of the σ and π bonds formed by the f orbitals. When covalency is significant, MO models more precisely determined the strengths of the bonds derived from the f orbitals; however, when covalency was small, the CF model was better than either MO model. The covalency determined using the new MO model is in better agreement with both experiment and theory than that predicted by the existing MO model. The results emphasize the role played by the orbital energy in determining the strength and covalency of bonds formed by the f orbitals.

The cyclisation of a short chain into a ring provides fascinating scenarios in terms of transforming a finite array of spins into a quasiinfinite structure. If frustration is present, theory predicts interesting quantum critical points, where the ground state and thus lowtemperature properties of a material change drastically upon even a small variation of appropriate external parameters. This can be visualised as achieving a very high and pointed summit where the way down has an infinity of possibilities, which by any parameter change will be rapidly chosen, in order to reach the final ground state. Here we report a mixed 3d/4f cyclic coordination cluster that turns out to be very near or even at such a quantum critical point. It has a ground state spin of S = 60, the largest ever observed for a molecule (120 times that of a single electron). [Fe 10 Gd 10 (Me-tea) 10 (Me-teaH) 10 (NO 3 ) 10 ]·20MeCN forms a nano-torus with alternating gadolinium and iron ions with a nearest neighbour Fe-Gd coupling and a frustrating next-nearest neighbour Fe-Fe coupling. Such a spin arrangement corresponds to a cyclic delta or saw-tooth chain, which can exhibit unusual frustration effects. In the present case, the quantum critical point bears a 'flatland' of tens of thousands of energetically degenerate states between which transitions are possible at no energy costs with profound caloric consequences. Entropy-wise the energy flatland translates into the pointed summit overlooking the entropy landscape. Going downhill several target states can be reached depending on the applied physical procedure which offers new prospects for addressability.