Transuranium organometallic chemistry

Coordination chemistry is a tool to reveal the hidden nature of elements through controlled manipulation of their environment, and the benefits that this understanding has brought society are numerous. For a chemist, the actinide series represents an intriguing frontier wherein conventional chemical intuition yields to relativistic effects and atypical technical challenges influence the pace of progress. Much of the chemical understanding of transuranium elements was developed during and shortly after the Manhattan Project and was borne out of practical needs. Although theoretical interest in their fundamental bonding and behaviour has always existed, synthesis-led exploration was often not possible. Synthetic, analytical and computational advancements in the twenty-first century have changed this, and contemporary synthetic transuranium coordination chemistry has begun to reveal that their properties are more nuanced than previously appreciated. In this Review, we discuss the discovery of transuranium elements, their history and the logistical demands inherent to chemical advancement in the area, and present key progress in transuranium organometallic and selected metal–organic chemistry, with a focus on how the field has begun to mature. Advances in laboratory-scale characterization have spurred a revival in transuranium organometallic chemistry. This Review discusses the field up to early 2025, framed alongside fundamental properties, past landmarks and future challenges. These exotic species are contrasted against lanthanide and earlier actinide examples.