ORGANOMETALLIC ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS - SYNTHESES AND APPLICATIONS TO HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS

Organometallic chemistry of the actinides has been developed over the last 20 years. Many compounds with PI ligands such as C//5H//5** minus or C//8H//8**″ ** minus can be synthesized from thorium to californium. In the cases of thorium and uranium the An-C sigma bond can be stabilized. These compounds exhibit different physicochemical properties from those of their d series analogues. Electronic, NMR, EPR and Mossbauer spectroscopy studies as well as magnetic measurement establish the role of f electrons in stabilizing the structure and activity of the compounds and allow comparison with organometallic derivatives of the lanthanides.