Actinide complexes with soft donor ligands have received greater attention in recent years due to the propensity for extractor ligands bearing soft donor atoms to selectively bind actinides over their lanthanide counterparts. The origin for this phenomenon is not well understood, nor is the relationship between the structure, bonding, and reactivity of hard metal-soft donor ligands. Our group has been interested in investigating the reactivity of unsaturated small molecules such as CO, CO2, RC≡N, RN≡C, and R2C=O, with actinide-phosphido complexes. Our recent results will be the subject of this presentation. One of the major reasons why the presenter is involved in the chemistry of the f elements is directly related to his interactions with Professor Bursten, from 2003-2004. As an undergraduate, one can make a reasonable (but not legal) argument that the presenter stalked Professor Bursten: constant emails, reading every manuscript he has ever written, meeting him at his seminar at UC Berkeley in Fall 2004. Since 2003, Bursten has been a consummate advocate for, and influential force on, the presenter’s career. It is with great pride and congratulations that I give this presentation on behalf of the winner of the 2020 award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry, my friend, Bruce E. Bursten!

Structure and reactivity of thorium and uranium phosphorus bonds

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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