Uranyl-oxo coordination directed by non-covalent interactions.

Directed coordination of weakly Lewis acidic K(+) ions to weakly Lewis basic uranyl oxo ligands is accomplished through non-covalent cation-π and cation-F interactions for the first time. Comparison of a family of structurally related diarylamide ligands highlights the role that the cation-π and cation-F interactions play in guiding coordination. Cation binding to uranyl is demonstrated in the solid state and in solution, providing the shortest reported crystallographic uranyl-oxo to potassium distance. UV-Vis, TD-DFT calculations, and electrochemical measurements show that cation coordination directly impacts the electronics at the uranium(vi) cation.