New insights into the acid mediated disproportionation of pentavalent uranyl

The reaction of benzoic acid with the uranyl(V) complex [(UO(2)Py(5))(KI(2)Py(2))] in pyridine leads to immediate disproportionation with formation of a hexanuclear U(IV) benzoate cluster, a bis-benzoate complex of uranyl(VI) and water.