Recent advances in organothorium and organouranium catalysis

In this critical review we summarize the latest results obtained during the last decade concerning the catalytic activities of organoactinide complexes. We begin with a brief summary of the synthesis and characterization of uranium and thorium complexes that later will be used as catalysts for demanding chemical transformations. Hydroamination, hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes, coupling of terminal alkynes with isonitriles, catalytic reduction of azides and hydrazines, ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters and polymerization of alpha-olefins are covered in this review (118 references). The topics covered in this review regarding organoactinide chemistry will be of interest to inorganic, organic and organometallic chemists, material and catalytic scientists due to its unique mode of activation as compared to late transition-metals. In addition, the field of organoactinide complexes in catalysis is steadily growing, because of the complementary reactivity of organoactinides as compared to other early or late transition complexes, in demanding chemical transformations.