Reaction of Laser-Ablated Uranium and Thorium Atoms with H2Se: A Rare Example of Selenium Multiple Bonding
Thomas Vent-Schmidt, Lester Andrews, K. Sahan Thanthiriwattec, David Dixon, Sebastian Riedel – 2015
The compounds H₂ThSe and H₂USe were synthesized by the reaction of laser-ablated actinide metal atoms with H₂Se under cryogenic conditions following the procedures used to synthesize H₂AnX (An = Th, U; X = O, S). The molecules were characterized by infrared spectra in an argon matrix with the aid of deuterium substitution and electronic structure calculations at the density functional theory level. The main products, H₂ThSe and H₂USe, are shown to have a highly polarized actinide–selenium triple bond, as found for H₂AnS on the basis of electronic structure calculations. There is an even larger back-bonding of the Se with the An than found for the corresponding sulfur compounds. These molecules are of special interest as rare examples of multiple bonding of selenium to a metal, particularly an actinide metal.