title: Synthesis, structure and bonding of hexaphenyl thorium(IV): observation of a non-octahedral structure.
abstract: We report herein the synthesis of the first structurally characterized homoleptic actinide aryl complexes, [Li(DME)3]2[Th(C6H5)6] (1) and [Li(THF)(12-crown-4)]2[Th(C6H5)6] (2), which feature an anion possessing a regular octahedral (1) or a severely distorted octahedral (2) geometry. The solid-state structure of 2 suggests the presence of pseudo-agostic ortho C-H···Th interactions, which arise from σ(C-H) → Th(5f) donation. The non-octahedral structure is also favoured in solution at low temperatures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. hayton@chem.ucsb.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Pedrick
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany. peter.hrobarik@tu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hrobárik
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. hayton@chem.ucsb.edu.
authors.forename: Lani A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Seaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. hayton@chem.ucsb.edu.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. hayton@chem.ucsb.edu.
authors.forename: Trevor W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Hayton