The synthesis and crystal structure of the thorium tetraphosphido complex, Th[P(CH 2 CH 2 PMe 2 ) 2 ] 4 , an actinide complex with only metal–phosphorus ligand bonds

The reaction of LiP(CH2CH2PMe2)2 with ThCl4 gives rise to the first actinide tetraphosphido complex, Th[P(CH2CH2PMe2)2]4; the first member of a class of f-element complexes bonded solely to phosphorous ligands and for which spectroscopic, analytical and X-ray crystallographic characterisation is presented.