Uranium-sulfilimine chemistry. Hydrolysis of Cp*2UCl2 with HNSPh2 · H2O and the crystal structure of Cp*2UCl(OH)(HNSPh2), a metallocene terminal hydroxy complex of tetravalent uranium

The reaction of Cp*2UCl2(HNSPh2) with HNSPh2 · H2O in 1:1 stoichiometry, produces Cp*2UCl(OH)(HNSPh2) in good yield. This is the first structurally characterized metallocene f-element complex containing a terminal hydroxy ligand. Cp*2UCl(OH)(HNSPh2) is an intermediate in the formation of a tetra uranium-oxo-cluster [Cp*(Cl)(HNSPh2)U(μ3-O)(μ2-O)2U(Cl)(HNSPh2)2]2, which forms by hydrolysis of Cp*2UCl2 with excess HNSPh2 · H2O.