RSC Edward Frankland Lecture

Dr. Stephen Liddle (University of Nottingham)

"UNCLE: Uranium in Non-Conventional Ligand Environments"

Abstract: Compared to the ‘core-like’ nature of the 4f orbitals, the 5f manifold, at least for the earlier actinides, exhibits a reasonable radial extension and is thus chemically accessible. For uranium the situation is particularly interesting because of the relative energetic proximity of the 5f and 6d orbitals. The extent and nature of covalency in uranium bonding is still hotly debated and relatively minor changes in bonding profoundly effect reactivity and magnetism.
 
Historically, the study of metal-metal bonding and metal-ligand multiple bonds has delivered great advances in chemical bonding, reactivity, and magnetism of widespread relevance. Therefore, in order to probe the nature of uranium we have been investigating the nature of uranium-metal and -ligand multiple bond linkages. We will present our work into the synthesis and characterisation of U-Ga, -Re, -Ru, and -Co bonds including the preparation of a novel high oxidation state inverted-sandwich uranium-arene complex. Additionally, we will describe our work accessing uranium-carbenes over all accessible oxidation states of uranium after nearly thirty years of being limited to the uranium(IV) oxidation state.

More details: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Chemistry/People/stephen.liddle

and Research Lectures by:

Dr. Chris Kozak (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada)

More details: http://www.chem.mun.ca/zfac/cmk.php

Dr. Fran Kerton (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada)

More details: http://www.chem.mun.ca/zfac/fmk.php

Further details can be obtained from Professor Ian Fairlamb (ian.fairlamb@york.ac.uk).

Click here for abstracts

• Abstracts of Kozak and Kerton lectures (PDF , 62kb)