Novel sitting-atop complexation between uranyl and meso-tetraarylporphyrins under mild conditions

Abstract

We have investigated the effect of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate on free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins under mild conditions, at room temperature and containing a few drops of chloroform. The characterization of the products by 1H NMR, IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis and electrical conductometry demonstrated sitting-atop complex structures. The sitting-atop complexes are metalloporphyrins in which the metal ion is bonded to fewer than four nitrogen atoms in the distorted porphyrin plane. Such complexes may be considered as models for the initial steps of metallation of the macrocycles. This attempt is the first report of the preparation of sitting-atop complexes for actinides.