Exploration of Thorium Amides and Alkyls

Metal alkyls have a variety of uses including important intermediates in a variety of  processes. In this research, a thorium bis-alkyl species was fully characterized and explored for its potential reactivity, specifically for the formation of thorium bis-amide complexes. A series of three thorium bis-amide complexes was synthesized and characterized in this work. Additionally, several pathways have been attempted to synthesize an actinide alkylidene within this project including the use of a homoleptic tetrabenzyl complex, the use of diazoalkanes through the loss of dinitrogen, deprotonation of alkyls, and reducing a metallacycle complex. However, many of these did not result in products that suggest that an alkylidene was formed. These reactions ranged from being thermally unstable, decomposing, not reacting, or forming multiple products and being unable to discern one major product.