The chemistry of actinides has flourished since the late 2010s with the synthesis of new actinide complexes and clusters. On the theoretical side, a range of tools is available for the characterization of these heavy element-containing compounds, but discrepancies in the assessment of aromaticity using different tools have led to controversies. In this Perspective, we examine the origin of controversies relating to the aromaticity of metallic compounds, with a focus on actinides. The aromaticity of actinides is important, not because these molecules are numerous or have a special role in catalysis or reactivity, but because this topic pushes theories of aromaticity to their limits. Owing to its reference independence, the magnetic criterion of aromaticity has been the most popular choice for the characterization of the aromaticity of metallic compounds, including actinide compounds. Through examination of several case studies, we show why this criterion might be misleading for metallic species and explain how findings relating to actinide compounds could reshape theories of aromaticity, not just for actinides but perhaps also for well-known hydrocarbons.

自 2010 年代末以来，随着新的锕系元素络合物和簇的合成，锕系元素化学蓬勃发展。在理论方面，有一系列工具可用于表征这些含重元素化合物，但使用不同工具评估芳香性的差异引起了争议。在本视角中，我们研究了与金属化合物芳香性相关的争议的根源，重点是锕系元素。锕系元素的芳香性很重要，不是因为这些分子数量众多或者在催化或反应性中具有特殊作用，而是因为这个主题将芳香性理论推向了极限。由于其参考独立性，芳香性磁性标准一直是表征金属化合物（包括锕系化合物）芳香性的最流行选择。通过对几个案例研究的研究，我们展示了为什么这个标准可能会误导金属物种，并解释了与锕系化合物相关的发现如何重塑芳香性理论，不仅适用于锕系元素，也可能适用于众所周知的碳氢化合物。