Insertion, Isomerization, and Cascade Reactivity of the Tethered Silylalkyl Uranium Metallocene (η5-C5Me4SiMe2CH2-κC)2U

Abstract

Investigation of the insertion reactivity of the tethered silylalkyl complex (η(5)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)-κC)(2)U (1) has led to a series of new reactions for U-C bonds. Elemental sulfur reacts with 1 by inserting two sulfur atoms into each of the U-C bonds to form the bis(tethered alkyl disulfide) complex (η(5):η(2)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)S(2))(2)U (2). The bulky substrate N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide, (i)PrN═C═N(i)Pr, inserts into only one of the U-C bonds of 1 to produce the mixed-tether complex (η(5)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)-κC)U[η(5)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)C((i)PrN)(2)-κ(2)N,N'] (3). Carbon monoxide did not exclusively undergo a simple insertion into the U-C bond of 3 but instead formed {μ-[η(5)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)C(═N(i)Pr)O-κ(2)O,N]U[OC(C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2))CN((i)Pr)-κ(2)O,N](2) (4) in a cascade of reactions that formally includes U-C bond cleavage, C-N bond cleavage of the amidinate ligand, alkyl or silyl migration, U-O, C-C, and C-N bond formations, and CO insertion. The reaction of 3 with isoelectronic tert-butyl isocyanide led to insertion of the substrate into the U-C bond, but with a rearrangement of the amidinate ligand binding mode from κ(2) to κ(1) to form [η(5):η(2)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)C(═N(t)Bu)]U[η(5)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)C(═N(i)Pr)N((i)Pr)-κN] (5). The product of double insertion of (t)BuN≡C into the U-C bonds of 1, namely [η(5):η(2)-C(5)Me(4)SiMe(2)CH(2)C(═N(t)Bu)](2)U (6), was found to undergo an unusual thermal rearrangement that formally involves C-H bond activation, C-C bond cleavage, and C-C bond coupling to form the first formimidoyl actinide complex, [η(5):η(5):η(3)-(t)BuNC(CH(2)SiMe(2)C(5)Me(4))(CHSiMe(2)C(5)Me(4))]U(η(2)-HC═N(t)Bu) (7).