Metal–ligand multiple bonding in uranium: structure and reactivity

There is a growing interest in uranium coordination chemistry, particularly as it relates to metal-ligand multiple bonding, and in the last decade significant progress has been made in synthesizing oxo, imido, mu-nitrido, and carbene-containing complexes of uranium. This review summarizes the synthesis, structure and reactivity of these complexes, starting from the inception of the field in 1981. Particular attention is focused on the recent developments in this area, such as the synthesis of the bis(imido) analogues of the uranyl ion, and the isolation of the first mu-nitrido complexes of this element.