A Terminal Neptunium(V)-Mono(Oxo) Complex

Michal Dutkiewicz, Conrad Goodwin, Mauro Perfetti, Andrew J. Gaunt, Jean-Christophe Griveau, Eric Colineau, Attila L. Kovács, Ashley Wooles, Roberto Caciuffo, Olaf Walter, Stephen Liddle

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Abstract

Neptunium was the first actinide element to be artificially synthesized, yet, compared with its more famous neighbours uranium and plutonium, is less conspicuously studied. Most neptunium chemistry involves the neptunyl di(oxo)-motif, and transuranic compounds with one metal–ligand multiple bond are rare, being found only in extended-structure oxide, fluoride or oxyhalide materials. These combinations stabilize the required high oxidation states, which are otherwise challenging to realize for transuranic ions. Here we report the synthesis, isolation and characterization of a stable molecular neptunium(V)–mono(oxo) triamidoamine complex. We describe a strong Np≡O triple bond with dominant 5f-orbital contributions and σ u > π u energy ordering, akin to terminal uranium-nitrides and di(oxo)-actinyls, but not the uranium–mono(oxo) triple bonds or other actinide multiple bonds reported so far. This work demonstrates that molecular high-oxidation-state transuranic complexes with a single metal–ligand bond can be stabilized and studied in isolation. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)342-349
Number of pages8
JournalNature Chemistry
Volume14
Issue number3
Early online date10 Feb 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2022

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