Multi-electron reduction facilitated by a trianionic pyridine(diimine) ligand

Reduction of Cp*2UI(THF) with KC8 in the presence of a pyridine-(diimine) ligand (PDI) results in the formation of Cp*U(PDI)(THF), which features a triply reduced PDI ligand. This species performs four electron cleavage of azobenzene to generate the uranium bis(imido), Cp*(PDI)U(NPh)(2).