skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Transuranic organometallics: The next generation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6807288

Neptunium and plutonium metal react cleanly with 3/2 equiv. I{sub 2} in aprotic ligating solvents, L, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), pyridine (Py), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) to give the triiodide complexes as tetrasolvates, AnI{sub 3}(L){sub 4} (An = Np, L = THF (1)); An = Pu, L = THF (2a), Py (2b), and DMSO (2c). These triiodide complexes are convenient precursors to new transuranic compounds. Reaction of the triiodide complexes 1 and 2a hexane with 3 equiv. of sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide give the volatile, solvate-free tris(silylamide) complexes, An(N(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}){sub 3} (An = Np, 3; An = Pu, 4). The silylamide complexes 3 and 4 undergo rapid reaction in hexane upon stoichiometric addition of HO-2,6-(t-C{sub 4}H{sub 9}){sub 2}C{sub 6}H{sub 3} to give the aryl oxide complexes An(O-2,6-(t-C{sub 4}H{sub 9}){sub 2}C{sub 6}H{sub 3}){sub 3} (An = Np, 5; An = Pu, 6). Preliminary investigations suggest that the aryl oxide complexes 5 and 6 react with lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)methanide, Li{sup +} CH(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}, in hexane to give the homoleptic alkyl complexes An(CH(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}){sub 3} (An = Np, 7; An = Pu, 8). The homoleptic silylamide, aryl oxide, and alkyl complexes are the first to be reported for transuranic elements. 17 refs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/DP
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6807288
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-90-3264; CONF-900846-4; ON: DE91000212
Resource Relation:
Conference: International symposium to commemorate the 50th anniversary of discovery of transuranium elements, Washington, DC (USA), 26-31 Aug 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English