Insights into the mechanism of carbonate formation through reductive cleavage of carbon dioxide with low-valent uranium centers

The low-valent U(III) complexes [(((t-Bu)ArO)(3)mes)U] and [(((Ad)ArO)(3)N)U] react with CO(2) to form the bridging carbonate complexes [{(((t-Bu)ArO)(3)mes)U}(2)(mu-kappa(2):kappa(2)-CO(3))] and [{(((Ad)ArO)(3)N)U}(2)(mu-eta(1):kappa(2)-CO(3))]. Uranium(IV) bridging oxo complexes have been determined to be the intermediate in these transformations.