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It is the uranium(IV) compound [UCl4(HCN)4]: a turquoise microcrystalline powder made by reacting uranium tetrachloride with anhydrous liquid hydrogen cyanide. In a 2018 paper, its authors said that, to their knowledge, it was the first uranium(IV) complex with hydrogen cyanide as a ligand whose structure had been elucidated.
What is the compound?
[UCl4(HCN)4] is a coordination compound in which uranium(IV) is associated with four chloride groups and four hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules. The formula identifies the reported composition; the key distinction is that HCN acts as a ligand in the complex rather than merely appearing as a reaction ingredient.
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S. S. Rudel, C. Pietzonka, M. Hoelzel, and F. Kraus reported the compound in Chemical Communications in 2018. The Royal Society of Chemistry lists its first publication date as January 17, 2018. Read the paper and abstract at the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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The authors reported obtaining the turquoise powder by reacting uranium tetrachloride with anhydrous liquid HCN. They determined its crystal structure using powder neutron diffraction and also characterized it with infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and magnetic measurements. The abstract describes the material as paramagnetic and says it crystallizes in tetragonal space group type I4.
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These methods answer different questions: diffraction established the arrangement in the crystalline material, infrared spectroscopy probes molecular vibrations, thermogravimetric analysis tracks changes as a sample is heated, and magnetic measurements characterize its magnetic behavior. Together, they provide structural and physical characterization rather than evidence of a practical use.
Why is a uranium–HCN complex unusual?
Complexes in which HCN itself serves as a ligand are scarce, particularly for uranium. The authors framed their result carefully: “To the best of our knowledge this compound represents the first structurally elucidated uranium(IV) complex with HCN as a ligand.” That claim is limited to a structurally elucidated uranium(IV) complex with HCN and reflects the authors’ knowledge at the time of publication; it is not a claim that this was the first HCN complex of any element or oxidation state.
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Chemistry World described the powder as only the second example of a hydrogen-cyanide complex of a uranium compound. That broader shorthand depends on which compounds are counted. The paper’s qualified statement is the more precise way to describe what the authors established.
What the finding does—and does not—show
The work establishes a characterized uranium(IV)–HCN compound and reports its crystal structure and measured properties. The cited material does not identify a consumer application or practical use, so the result is best understood as specialized coordination chemistry, not a usable product or a do-it-yourself preparation. The reactants and reported method should not be treated as instructions for handling or making the compound.
The primary paper is available from the Royal Society of Chemistry. A contemporary report appeared in Chemistry World on February 7, 2018.
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