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Preparations and mechanism of hydrolysis of ((8)annulene)actinide compounds. [Uranocene]

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5319654· OSTI ID:5319654
The mechanism of hydrolysis for bis(8)annulene actinide and lanthanide complexes has been studied in detail. The uranium complex, uranocene, decomposes with good pseudo-first order kinetics (in uranocene) in 1 M degassed solutions of H/sub 2/O in THF. Decomposition of a series of aryl-substituted uranocenes demonstrates that the hydrolysis rate is dependent on the electronic nature of the substituent (Hammett rho value = 2.1, r/sup 2/ = 0.999), with electron-withdrawing groups increasing the rate. When D/sub 2/O is substituted for H/sub 2/O, kinetic isotope effects of 8 to 14 are found for a variety of substituted uranocenes. These results suggest a pre-equilibrium involving approach of a water molecule to the central metal, followed by rate determining proton transfer to the eight membered ring and rapid decomposition to products. Each of the four protonations of the complex has a significant isotope effect. The product ratio of cyclooctatriene isomers formed in the hydrolysis varies, depending on the central metal of the complex. However, the general mechanism of hydrolysis, established for uranocene, can be extended to the hydrolysis and alcoholysis of all the (8)annulene complexes of the lanthanides and actinides.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
5319654
Report Number(s):
LBL-20031; ON: DE85017656
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English