Β-Diketiminate ligands have received increased interest in coordination chemistry, especially for homogeneous catalysis. Their successful applications arise from an easy and fine tuning of the ligand electronic and geometric properties. However, these modifications are limited to the introduction of neutral donors (ethers or amines), on the nitrogen substituents of the β-diketiminate skeleton. The main focus of this research project is to overcome this limitation by synthesizing new β-diketiminate ligands functionalized by one or two anionic aryloxide groups, and to study their coordination chemistry with lanthanide and actinide ions. Access to these species relies on a fine understanding of the mechanism underlying their formation, and the sensitivity of the β-diiminium skeleton towards nucleophiles (phenols) has been identified as the limiting side reaction in the synthetic route. Addition of reactants in well defined order allowed the formation of two new N-aryloxy-β-diketiminate dianions on a multi-gram scale. The two ligands differ by their steric bulk and exhibit different coordination behaviors towards lanthanides and actinide ions, which were rationalized on geometric considerations. The reactivity of three of these new complexes has been investigated. A Ce(III) N-aryloxy-β-diketiminate complex exhibits interesting reduction properties, due to the shift of its oxidation potential to negative values by its coordination environment. A Th(IV) complex presents a vacant coordination site, which has been probed with different Lewis bases, emphasizing two spatial arrangements ruled by inter-ligand repulsion. It has been compared to its U(IV) analogue, which can be oxidized to a rare terminal monooxo uranium(VI) species. The latter was reversibly reduced to its U(V) and U(IV) derivatives, creating the first series of terminal monooxo uranium complexes with three successive oxidation states. These compounds represent an opportunity to better understand the influence of f-electrons on the inverse trans influence (ITI) in uranium oxo complexes. Preliminary DFT calculations have been carried out to explore geometric and energetic aspects at play in this interaction.
