Actinide-transition metal heteronuclear ions and their oxides:: {IrUO}+ as an analogue to uranyl

Recent theoretical calculations have shown that Ir should behave as a chemical analogue to N, with the result that IrUO+, like known NUO+, is predicted to be a stable species isoelectronic with UO22+, the uranyl dication. The target heterometallic analogue to uranyl has now been prepared by direct laser desorption/ionization of a U/Ir alloy, and by oxidation of UIr+ with N2O and C2H4O. Properties of UIr+, UPt+, and UAu+ bimetallic ions have been studied. They demonstrate direct actinide-transition metal bonding, and support the concept of autogenic isolobality. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006).