Lewis base adducts of uranium triiodide: a new class of synthetically useful precursors for trivalent uranium chemistry

A series of organic-solvent-soluble Lewis base adducts of uranium triiodide that are easy to prepare and that serve as excellent precursors to a variety of new and known trivalent uranium compounds have been found. The compound UI{sub 3}(THF){sub 4} (THF = tetrahydrofuran) has been prepared by the reaction of clean uranium turnings with freshly sublimed elemental iodine in THF solution at 0{degree}C. Single crystals of UI{sub 3}(THF){sub 4} have been grown from a concentrated THF solution at -40{degree}C, and the structural data collected from x-ray diffraction studies at 23{degree}C are reported. 31 refs., 1 fig.