Magnetic exchange coupling in imido bimetallic uranium(V) complexes. A relativistic DFT study

Magnetic exchange coupling between uranium U(V) ions, in the case of the two para- and meta-imido diuranium complexes, respectively [(C₅H₅)₃U]₂(μ-1,4-N₂C₆H₄) and [(C₅H₅)₃U]₂(μ-1,3-N₂C₆H₄) exhibiting the 5f¹-5f¹ configuration, have been investigated using relativistic DFT calculations, combined with the broken symmetry (BS) approach. Using the B3LYP functional, the singlet BS state of the para complex has been found of lower energy than the high spin (HS) triplet one, in agreement with the observed antiferromagnetic character of the complex. On the contrary the BP86 functional fails to predict this magnetic property. The spin density distributions and MO analysis explain well the antiferromagnetic character of the para complex and clarify the failure of the BP86 functional. The effective participation of the 5f metal orbitals in bonding with the imido ligand plays a key role for electronic and magnetic communication between the two active U(V) 5f¹ electrons. The same technique led us to explain the ferromagnetic character of the meta isomer in agreement with experiment. For both isomers the spin polarization mechanism explains well their observed magnetic behaviour.