The bis metallacyclic anion [U(N{SiMe3}2)(CH2SiMe2N{SiMe3})2]-.

A series of bis metallacyclic compounds M(THF)(x)UN*(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2) [M = Na (2), Li (3), or K (4), N* = N(SiMe(3))(2)] were isolated from reactions of UCl(4) or [UN*(3)Cl] with MN* or by treatment of [UN*(2)(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})] (1) or [UN*(3)] with MN*, MH, or LiCH(2)SiMe(3) in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Crystals of 2a x 1/6n-pentane (x = 0), 2b (x = 1), 2c (x = 2), and 4b (x = 1) were obtained by crystallization of 2 and 4 from pentane, and [Na(18-crown-6)(THF)][UN*(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2)] (2d) and [Na(15-crown-5)][UN*(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2)] (2e) were formed upon addition of the crown ether. The crystal structures of 2a-2e and 4b exhibit the same [UN*(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2)] units which are linked to Na or K atoms via methylene or methyl groups, giving either tight cation-anion pairs (2d and 2e) or one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) polymeric compounds with Na or K atoms in bridging position between methylene groups of adjacent units. Reaction of 2 with CO gave the double insertion derivative [Na(2)(THF)U(2)N*(2)(OC{=CH(2)}SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(4)] (5b) and [Na(15-crown-5)UN*(OC{=CH(2)}SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2)] (5c) in the presence of the crown ether. Thermal decomposition of 5b gave Na(2)(THF)U(OC{=CH(2)}SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(3) (6), the product of CO insertion into the putative tris metallacycle [Na(2)(THF)(x)U(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(3)]. The crystal structures of 5b, 5c, and 6 show the interaction of the Na atoms with the exocyclic C=CH(2) bonds. Diffusion of CO(2) into a THF solution of 2 led to the formation of [Na(THF)(x)UN*(OC{O}CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2)] (7) which crystallized from pyridine/pentane to give [Na(THF)(2)(py)(2)UN*(OC{O}CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(2)] x 0.5 py (8 x 0.5 py), the first crystallographically characterized complex resulting from CO(2) insertion into a M(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)}) metallacycle. Compound 2 reacted with I(2) to give [UN*(CH(2)SiMe(2)N{SiMe(3)})(N{SiMe(3)}SiMe(2)CH(2)I)] (9) which would represent a new type of so-called "pendulum" systems resulting from a degenerate sigma bond metathesis reaction of U-C and C-I bonds.