[en] Environmental sustainability is now more topical than ever – and essential for the well-being of the following generations. One aspect is the metal-catalyzed conversion of small molecules (e.g. CO${}_2$, N${}_2$O, NO), which act as greenhouse gases, into recyclable and potentially valuable materials. Through investigations of the structural and electronic properties of the involved catalytic species, insight into the mechanisms of these reactions is gained. This allows for the development of novel and more efficient molecular catalysts. Uranium has emerged as a potential candidate for this undertaking, as low-valent uranium complexes are highly reducing and can often react with these inert molecules under comparably mild conditions. The advantages of utilizing this actinide for small molecule activation includes its large ionic radius, the range of accessible oxidation states and coordination numbers, as well as the comparably low but significant degree of covalent bonding. A suitable ligand framework is necessary to control the electronic and structural properties of their corresponding uranium complexes. The most prominent ligands utilized for uranium coordination chemistry in the Meyer group are (${}^{R,R^{\mathrm{\prime <!--\; ???\; -->}}}$ArO)${}_3$tacn${}^{3-<!--\; ???\; -->}$, (${}^{R,R^{\mathrm{\prime <!--\; ???\; -->}}}$ArO)${}_3$mes${}^{3-<!--\; ???\; -->}$, and (${}^{Ad,Me}$ArO)${}_3$N${}^{3-<!--\; ???\; -->}$, each with their own anchoring group and unique reactivity. These chelating ligands distinguish themselves not only in the coordination geometry they enforce, but also in the size of the reactive cavity formed around the uranium metal center, which is pre¬dominantly defined by the ligand’s steric bulk.