Tetravalent cerium carbene complexes

The tetravalent organometallic cerium complex [CeL4] is readily accessible from the oxidation of the trivalent [CeL3], L = a bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene alkoxide ligand, [C{(NPri)-CHCHN}CH2CMe2O]. The [CeL4] complex should behave like the [UL4] analogue, but the two complexes show significantly different structures, highlighting the differences between 4f and 5f metals.