UIII–CN versus UIV–NC Coordination in Tris(silylamide) Complexes

International audienceTreatment of the metallacycle [UN*2(N,C)] [N* = N(SiMe3)2; N,C = CH2SiMe2N(SiMe3)] with [HNEt3][BPh4], [HNEt3]Cl, and [pyH][OTf] (OTf = OSO2CF3) gave the cationic compound [UN*3][BPh4] (1) and the neutral complexes [UN*3X] [X = Cl (3), OTf (4)], respectively. The dinuclear complex [UN*(?-N,C)(?-OTf)2] (5) and its tetrahydrofuran (THF) adduct [UN*(N,C)(THF)(?-OTf)2] (6) were obtained by thermal decomposition of 4. The successive addition of NEt4CN or KCN to 1 led to the formation of the cyanido-bridged dinuclear compound [(UN*3)2(?-CN)][BPh4] (7) and the mononuclear mono- and bis(cyanide) complexes [UN*3(CN)] (2) and [M][UN*3(CN)2] [M = NEt4 (8), K(THF)4 (9)], while crystals of [K(18-crown-6)][UN*3(CN)2] (10) were obtained by the oxidation of [K(18-crown-6)][UN*3(CN)] with pyridine N-oxide. The THF adduct of 1, [UN*3(THF)][BPh4], and complexes 2?7, 9 and 10 were characterized by their X-ray crystal structure. In contrast to their UIII analogues [NMe4][UN*3(CN)] and [K(18-crown-6)]2[UN*3(CN)2] in which the CN anions are coordinated to the metal center via the C atom, complexes 2 and 9 exhibit the isocyanide U?NC coordination mode of the cyanide ligand. This UIII/UIV differentiation has been analyzed using density functional theory calculations. The observed preferential coordinations are well explained considering the electronic structures of the different species and metal?ligand bonding energies. A comparison of the different quantum descriptors, i.e., bond orders, NPA/QTAIM data, and energy decomposition analysis, has allowed highlighting of the subtle balance between covalent, ionic, and steric factors that govern the U?CN/NC bonding