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The synthesis, X-ray structure, stability, and photophysical properties of several trivalent lanthanide complexes formed from two differing bis-bidentate ligands incorporating either alkyl or alkyl ether linkages and featuring the 1-hydroxy-2-pyridinone (1,2-HOPO) chelate group in complex with Eu(III), Sm(III), and Gd(III) are reported. The Eu(III) complexes are among some of the best examples, pairing highly efficient emission (Phi tot (Eu) approximately 21.5%) with high stability (pEu approximately 18.6) in aqueous solution, and are excellent candidates for use in biological assays. A comparison of the observed behavior of the complexes with differing backbone linkages shows remarkable similarities, both in stability and photophysical properties. Low temperature photophysical measurements for a Gd(III) complex were also used to gain insight into the electronic structure and were found to agree with corresponding time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations for a model complex. A comparison of the high resolution Eu(III) emission spectra in solution and from single crystals also revealed a more symmetric coordination geometry about the metal ion in solution due to dynamic rotation of the observed solid state structure.

The highly reactive, six-coordinate tris-aryloxide U(III) species, [((t-BuArO)3tacn)U] (1) reacts with CO2 in a 2e- reduction to produce CO and a dinuclear U(IV/IV) mu-oxygen bridged complex [{((t-BuArO)3tacn)U}2(mu-O)] (2). This reaction proceeds via a dinuclear CO2-bridged intermediate 3. Also, mononuclear 1 was treated with 1 atm of CO to yield dinuclear [{((t-BuArO)3tacn)U}2(mu-CO)] (4) with a CO ligand bridging two uranium ions in an unprecedented mu:eta1,eta1 fashion. The mixed-valent azido-bridged U(III/IV) complex 5 was synthesized from trivalent 1 and tetravalent [((t-BuArO)3tacn)U(N3)] and serves as an isostructural analogue of triatomic-bridged intermediate 3 as well as an electronic model for mixed-valent 4.

The novel versatile cobalt(I) tris-carbene complex [(TIMEN(xyl))Co]Cl (1) (where TIMEN = (tris[2-(3-arylimidazol-2-ylidene)ethyl]amine) reacts with CO, one-electron oxidizers such as CH(2)Cl(2), and O(2) to yield the cobalt complexes [(TIMEN(xyl))Co(CO)]Cl (2), [(TIMEN(xyl))Co(Cl)]Cl (3), and peroxo species [(TIMEN(xyl))Co(O(2))](BPh(4)) (5). All new complexes were fully characterized by (1)H NMR, UV/vis, and IR spectroscopy as well as superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetization measurements and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The nucleophilic character of the eta(2)-bound dioxygen ligand in 5 was confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) studies and allows for oxygen-transfer reactions with electron-deficient organic substrates, such as benzoyl chloride.

The synthesis and characterization of the first nickel(0)/(i) tris-carbene complex with a nitrogen anchored tripodal N-heterocyclic carbene ligand are described.

The electron-rich, six-coordinate tris-aryloxide uranium(III) complex [((AdArO)3tacn)U(III)] [where (AdArOH)3tacn = 1,4,7-tris(3-adamantyl-5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)1,4,7-triazacyclononane] reacts rapidly with CO2 to yield [((AdArO)3tacn)U(IV)(CO2)], a complex in which the CO(2) ligand is linearly coordinated to the metal through its oxygen atom (eta1-OCO). The latter complex has been crystallographically and spectroscopically characterized. The inequivalent O-C-O bond lengths [1.122 angstroms (A) for the O-C bond adjacent to uranium and 1.277 A for the other], considered together with magnetization data and electronic and vibrational spectra, support the following bonding model: U(IV)=O=C*-O- <--> U(IV)-OC-O-. In these charge-separated resonance structures, the uranium center is oxidized to uranium(IV) and the CO2 ligand reduced by one electron.

A series of five uranium-alkane complexes of the general formula [(ArO)3tacn)U(alkane)].(cy-alkane) has been synthesized and crystallographically characterized. In all cases, X-ray diffraction studies revealed a pseudo-six-coordinate trivalent uranium core structure, [(ArO)3tacn)U], with a coordinated alkane ligand at the axial position. The average U-C bond distance to the bound alkane was determined to be 3.798 A, which is considerably shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii of the U atom and a CH2 or CH3 unit (3.9 A). In all complexes, the alkane is coordinated in an eta2-H,C fashion.

Incorporation of a nitrogen functionality into a tripodal N-heterocyclic carbene ligand system affords the first N-anchored tetradentate tris-carbene ligands TIMEN(R) (R = Me (5a), t-Bu (5b), Bz (5c)). Treatment of the methyl derivatized [H(3)TIMEN(Me)](PF(6))(3) imidazolium salt (H(3)5a) with silver oxide yields the silver complex [(TIMEN(Me))(2)Ag(3)](PF(6))(3) (9), which, in a ligand transfer reaction, reacts with copper(I) bromide to give the trinuclear copper(I) complex [(TIMEN(Me))(2)Cu(3)](PF(6))(3) (10). Deprotonation of the tert-butyl and benzyl derivatives [H(3)TIMEN(t-Bu)](PF(6))(3) and [H(3)TIMEN(Bz)](PF(6))(3) yields the free tris-carbenes TIMEN(t-Bu) (5b) and TIMEN(Bz) (5c), which react readily with copper(I) salts to give mononuclear complexes [(TIMEN(t-Bu))Cu](PF(6)) (11b) and [(TIMEN(Bz))Cu]Br (11c). The solid-state structures of 10, 11b, and 11c were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. While the TIMEN(Me) ligand yields trinuclear complex 10, with both T-shaped three-coordinate and linear two-coordinate copper(I) centers, the TIMEN(t-Bu) and TIMEN(Bz) ligands induce mononuclear complexes 11b and 11c, rendering the cuprous ion in a trigonal planar ligand environment of three carbenoid carbon centers and an additional, weak axial nitrogen interaction. Complexes 11b and 11c exhibit reversible one-electron redox events at half-wave potentials of 110 and -100 mV vs Fc/Fc(+), respectively, indicating sufficient electronic and structural flexibility of both TIMEN(R) ligands (R = t-Bu, Bz) to stabilize copper(I) and copper(II) oxidation states. Accordingly, a copper(II) NHC complex, [(TIMEN(Bz))Cu](OTf)(2) (12), was synthesized. Paramagnetic complex 12 was characterized by elemental analysis, EPR spectroscopy, and SQUID magnetization measurements.

The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of the mononuclear uranium complex [((ArO)(3)tacn)U(III)(NCCH(3))] is reported. The uranium(III) complex reacts with organic azides to yield uranium(IV) azido as well as uranium(V) imido complexes, [((ArO)(3)tacn)U(IV)(N(3))] and [((ArO)(3)tacn)U(V)(NSi(CH(3))(3))]. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic, and computational studies of this analogous series of uranium tris-aryloxide complexes supported by triazacyclononane are described. The hexadentate, tris-anionic ligand coordinates to the large uranium ion in unprecedented fashion, engendering coordinatively unsaturated and highly reactive uranium centers. The macrocyclic triazacyclononane tris-aryloxide derivative occupies six coordination sites, with the three aryloxide pendant arms forming a trigonal plane at the metal center. DFT quantum mechanic methods were applied to rationalize the reactivity and to elucidate the electronic structure of the newly synthesized compounds. It is shown that the deeply colored uranium(III) and uranium(V) species are stabilized via pi-bonding interaction, involving uranium f-orbitals and the axial acetonitrile and imido ligand, respectively. In contrast, the bonding in the colorless uranium(IV) azido complex is purely ionic in nature. The magnetism of the series of complexes with an [N3O3-N(ax)] core structure and oxidation states +III, +IV, and +V is discussed in context of the electronic structures.

A reactive low-valent uranium(III) complex supported by an aryloxide functionalised triazacyclononane has been synthesised and provides a platform for enhanced uranium reactivity.