Uranyl Photo-Catalyzed Methane C-H Functionalization – UraMeth

UraMeth concerns the use of actinides and particularly uranyl complexes as a promising pioneering family of photo-redox catalysts for HAT processes that are not based on precious platinum group metals. Although much less discussed in the literature, these complexes display high oxidative photo-redox properties. With the UraMeth project, we propose to investigate the potential of well-defined Uranyl (UO22+/UO2+) complexes as photo-redox catalysts in original coupling reactions with direct use of light alkanes, such as methane, as coupling partners. This ambitious project is highly relevant for the introduction of light alkanes wastes in organic synthesis.