Neutral arenes such as benzene have never been considered suitable ligands for electropositive actinide cations, yet we find that even simple U III UX3 aryloxide complexes such as U(ODipp)3 bind and reduce arenes spontaneously at room temperature, forming inverse arene sandwich (IAS) complexes XnU(µ-C6D6)UXm (n,m = 2,3), ODipp = OC6H3 i Pr2-2,6). In some cases, further arene reduction can occur as a result of X ligand redistribution. These unexpected spontaneous reactions explain the anomalous spectra and reported lack of further reactivity of strongly reducing U III centers. Further, phosphines that are not considered suitable ligands for actinides can catalyze the formation of the IAS complexes, and out-compete THF, traditionally considered a strong donor ligand for f-block ions. This enables otherwise inaccessible asymmetric and less congested IAS complexes to be isolated and the bonding in this series compared.