Multidentate carbene donor ligands have very recently been used to support f-block ions. We, in collaboration with D. Jenkins, recently reported remarkably stable tetradentate macrocyclic carbene borate ‘sandwich’ complexes of uranium and thorium, starting a new class of organometallic f-block complexes. Carbenes are strong σ-donors and the bis tetracarbene borate U and Th complexes showed reduced oxidation potentials relative to their actinocene congeners. Here we show how tris-carbene borates, six-electron donor monoanionic ligands can join this class. These tris-carbene borate complexes had previously been employed extensively in transition metal chemistry, and we will show how the ligands influence the electronic structure of the f- complexes, and compare this to isolobal N-donor trispyrazolylborate congeners, which have a long history in f-block chemistry with interesting electronic properties such as fluorescence.

Triscarbene borate f-element complexes

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