Hydrogenation of CO at a Uranium(III) Center

Mining the reactivity of uranium: Current highlights in the uranium-mediated reactions of CO include reductive coupling, CO homologation, and, most recently, the remarkable hydrogenation of CO to methanolate by the UIII mixed-sandwich complex 1. The theoretical catalytic cycle proceeds through the hydrogenation of 13CO to give the methanolate complex 2, which upon treatment with Me3SiOTf, releases Me3SiO13CH3 and the uranium triflate 3, which in turn can be reduced with K/Hg to regenerate 1 (see scheme).