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1. In search of tris(trimethylsilylcyclopentadienyl) thorium

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C9DT03674A  

   Wedal, Justin C.; Bekoe, Samuel; Ziller, Joseph W.; Furche, Filipp; Evans, William J. (November 2019, Dalton Transactions)

   Reduction of Cp′ 3 ThCl, Cp′ 3 ThBr, and Cp′ 3 ThI (Cp′ = C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 ) with potassium graphite generates dark blue solutions with reactivity and spectroscopic properties consistent with the formation of Cp′ 3 Th. The EPR and UV-visible spectra of the solutions are similar to those of crystallographically-characterized tris(cyclopentadienyl) Th( iii ) complexes: [C 5 H 3 (SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 3 Th, (C 5 Me 4 H) 3 Th, (C 5 t Bu 2 H 3 ) 3 Th, and (C 5 Me 5 ) 3 Th. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis indicates that the UV-visible spectrum is consistent with Cp′ 3 Th and not [Cp′ 3 ThBr] 1− . Although single crystals of Cp′ 3 Th have not been isolated, the blue solution reacts with Me 3 SiCl, I 2 , and HCCPh to afford products expected from Cp′ 3 Th, namely, Cp′ 3 ThCl, Cp′ 3 ThI, and Cp′ 3 Th(CCPh), respectively. Reactions with MeI give mixtures of Cp′ 3 ThI and Cp′ 3 ThMe. Evidence for further reduction of the blue solutions to a Cp′-ligated Th( ii ) complex has not been observed. The crystal structures of Cp′ 3 ThMe and (Cp′ 3 Th) 2 (μ-O) were also determined as part of these studies. 

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2. Replacing Trimethylsilyl with Triisopropylsilyl Provides Crystalline (C ₅ H ₄ SiR ₃ ) ₃ Th Complexes of Th(III) and Th(II)

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.3c00343  

   Nguyen, Joseph Q; Anderson-Sanchez, Lauren M; Moore, William_N G; Ziller, Joseph W; Furche, Filipp; Evans, William J (October 2023, Organometallics)

   The importance of the specific trialkylsilyl substituent in the cyclopentadienyl chemistry of C5H4SiR3 ligands has been demonstrated by the synthesis of low oxidation-state thorium complexes. Although the structure of the disilyl-substituted cyclopentadienyl Th(III) complex, [C5H3(SiMe3)2]3ThIII (Cp″3ThIII), was reported in 1986, no monosilyl-substituted analogues, (C5H4SiR3)3ThIII (R = alkyl, aryl), have been isolated to date, even though analogues are well known in U(III) chemistry. We now report that crystalline tris(monosilyl-substituted cyclopentadienyl) Th(III) and Th(II) complexes can be isolated when R = isopropyl, i.e., using the (triisopropylsilyl)cyclopentadienyl ligand, C5H4SiiPr3 (CpTIPS). The salt metathesis reaction between three equiv of KCpTIPS and ThIVBr4(DME)2 (DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) afforded the colorless Th(IV) complex, CpTIPS3ThIVBr, 1, which was identified spectroscopically and crystallographically. KC8 reduction of 1 in THF produced dark blue CpTIPS3ThIII, 2, in crystalline form. The complex was identified by X-ray crystallography, EPR, and UV–visible spectroscopy in contrast to ″(C5H4SiMe3)3ThIII,″ which has never been isolated due to its instability. This Th(III) complex can be reduced further with KC8 in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) to make [K(crypt)][CpTIPS3ThII], 3, which is only the second crystallographically characterized Th(II) complex isolated since (Cp″3ThII)1– was discovered in 2014. Spectroscopic, crystallographic, and density functional theory (DFT) analyses are consistent with 6d1 and 6d2 electron configurations for the Th(III) and Th(II) complexes, respectively. The importance of the triisopropylsilyl substituent and the role that steric factors play in the successful isolation of Th(III) and Th(II) complexes were evaluated by Guzei solid angle calculations and electrochemical studies. The results suggest that both electronic and steric effects should be considered in the isolation of Th(III) and Th(II) complexes. 

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3. Crystal structure of the [(THF)Cs(μ-η ⁵ :η ⁵ -Cp′) ₃ Yb] _n oligomer

   https://doi.org/10.1107/S2056989020008051  

   Huh, Daniel N.; Ziller, Joseph W.; Evans, William J. (July 2020, Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications)

   null (Ed.)

   The green compound poly[(tetrahydrofuran)tris[μ-η 5 :η 5 -1-(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadienyl]caesium(I)ytterbium(II)], [CsYb(C 8 H 13 Si) 3 (C 4 H 8 O)] n or [(THF)Cs(μ-η 5 :η 5 -Cp′) 3 Yb II ] n was synthesized by reduction of a red THF solution of (C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 ) 3 Yb III with excess Cs metal and identified by X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes as a two-dimensional array of hexagons with alternating Cs I and Yb II ions at the vertices and cyclopentadienyl groups bridging each edge. This, based off the six-electron cyclopentadienyl rings occupying three coordination positions, gives a formally nine-coordinate tris(cyclopentadienyl) coordination environment to Yb and the Cs is ten-coordinate due to the three cyclopentadienyl rings and a coordinated molecule of THF. The complex comprises layers of Cs 3 Yb 3 hexagons with THF ligands and Me 3 Si groups in between the layers. The Yb—C metrical parameters are consistent with a 4 f 14 Yb II electron configuration. 

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4. Evaluating electrochemical accessibility of 4f ⁿ 5d ¹ and 4f ⁿ⁺¹ Ln( ii ) ions in (C ₅ H ₄ SiMe ₃ ) ₃ Ln and (C ₅ Me ₄ H) ₃ Ln complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D1DT02427B  

   Trinh, Michael T.; Wedal, Justin C.; Evans, William J. (October 2021, Dalton Transactions)

   The reduction potentials (reported vs. Fc + /Fc) for a series of Cp′ 3 Ln complexes (Cp′ = C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 , Ln = lanthanide) were determined via electrochemistry in THF with [ n Bu 4 N][BPh 4 ] as the supporting electrolyte. The Ln( iii )/Ln( ii ) reduction potentials for Ln = Eu, Yb, Sm, and Tm (−1.07 to −2.83 V) follow the expected trend for stability of 4f 7 , 4f 14 , 4f 6 , and 4f 13 Ln( ii ) ions, respectively. The reduction potentials for Ln = Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Lu, that form 4f n 5d 1 Ln( ii ) ions ( n = 2–14), fall in a narrow range of −2.95 V to −3.14 V. Only cathodic events were observed for La and Ce at −3.36 V and −3.43 V, respectively. The reduction potentials of the Ln( ii ) compounds [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp′ 3 Ln] (Ln = Pr, Sm, Eu) match those of the Cp′ 3 Ln complexes. The reduction potentials of nine (C 5 Me 4 H) 3 Ln complexes were also studied and found to be 0.05–0.24 V more negative than those of the Cp′ 3 Ln compounds. 

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5. Crystal structures of phosphine-supported (η ⁵ -cyclopentadienyl)molybdenum(II) propionyl complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1107/S2056989021008008  

   Whited, Matthew T.; Ball, Margaret A.; Block, Alison; Brewster, Benjamin A.; Ferrer, LouLou; Jin-Lee, Helen J.; King, Colby J.; North, Jamie D.; Shelton, Inger L.; Wilson, David G. (September 2021, Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications)

   Three cyclopentadienylmolybdenum(II) propionyl complexes featuring triarylphosphine ligands with different para substituents, namely, dicarbonyl(η 5 -cyclopentadienyl)propionyl(triphenylphosphane-κ P )molybdenum(II), [Mo(C 5 H 5 )(C 3 H 5 O)(C 18 H 15 P)(CO) 2 ], ( 1 ), dicarbonyl(η 5 -cyclopentadienyl)propionyl[tris(4-fluorophenyl)phosphane-κ P ]molybdenum(II), [Mo(C 5 H 5 )(C 3 H 5 O)(C 18 H 12 F 3 P)(CO) 2 ], ( 2 ), and dicarbonyl(η 5 -cyclopentadienyl)propionyl[tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphane-κ P ]molybdenum(II) dichloromethane solvate, [Mo(C 5 H 5 )(C 3 H 5 O)(C 21 H 21 O 3 P)(CO) 2 ]·CH 2 Cl 2 , ( 3 ), have been prepared from the corresponding ethyl complexes via phosphine-induced migratory insertion. These complexes exhibit four-legged piano-stool geometries with molecular structures quite similar to each other and to related acetyl complexes. The extended structures of the three complexes differ somewhat, with the para substituent of the triarylphosphine of ( 2 ) (fluoro) or ( 3 ) (methoxy) engaging in non-classical C—H...F or C—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions. The structure of ( 3 ) exhibits modest disorder in the position of one Cl atom of the dichloromethane solvent, which was modeled with two sites showing approximately equivalent occupancies [0.532 (15) and 0.478 (15)]. 

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