The Renaissance of Non-Aqueous Uranium Chemistry

Prior to the year 2000, non-aqueous uranium chemistry mainly involved metallocene and classical alkyl, amide, or alkoxide compounds as well as established carbene, imido, and oxo derivatives. Since then, there has been a resurgence of the area, and dramatic developments of supporting ligands and multiply bonded ligand types, small-molecule activation, and magnetism have been reported. This Review 1)introduces the reader to some of the specialist theories of the area, 2)covers all-important starting materials, 3)surveys contemporary ligand classes installed at uranium, including alkyl, aryl, arene, carbene, amide, imide, nitride, alkoxide, aryloxide, and oxo compounds, 4)describes advances in the area of single-molecule magnetism, and 5)summarizes the coordination and activation of small molecules, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, dinitrogen, white phosphorus, and alkanes.