Polymer-Coated Covalent Organic Frameworks as Porous Liquids for Gas Storage.

Several synthetic methods have recently emerged to develop high-surface-area solid-state organic framework-based materials into free-flowing liquids with permanent porosity. The fluidity of these porous liquid (PL) materials provides them with advantages in certain storage and transport processes. However, most framework-based materials necessitate the use of cryogenic temperatures to store weakly bound gases such as H2, temperatures where PLs lose their fluidity. Covalent organic framework (COF)-based PLs that could reversibly form stable complexes with H2 near ambient temperatures would represent a promising development for gas storage and transport applications. We report here the development, characterization, and evaluation of a material with these remarkable characteristics based on Cu(I)-loaded COF colloids. Our synthetic strategy required tailoring conditions for growing robust coatings of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-methacrylate (PDMS-MA) around COF colloids using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). We demonstrate exquisite control over the coating thickness on the colloidal COF, quantified by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The coated COF material was then suspended in a liquid polymer matrix to make a PL. CO2 isotherms confirmed that the coating preserved the general porosity of the COF in the free-flowing liquid, while CO sorption measurements using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) confirmed the preservation of Cu(I) coordination sites. We then evaluated the gas sorption phenomenon in the Cu(I)-COF-based PLs using DRIFTS and temperature-programmed desorption measurements. In addition to confirming that H2 transport is possible at or near mild refrigeration temperatures with these materials, our observations indicate that H2 diffusion is significantly influenced by the glass-transition temperature of both the coating and the liquid matrix. The latter result underscores an additional potential advantage of PLs in tailoring gas diffusion and storage temperatures through the coating composition.

Electrochemical and Structural Characterization of Soft Landed Tungsten-Substituted Lindqvist Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxides.

Lindqvist polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters are excellent candidates for applications in energy storage and conversion due to their rich electrochemical profiles. One approach to tune the redox properties of these cluster complexes is through substitutional cationic doping within the hexavanadate core. Here, we report the synthesis of a series of tungsten-substituted POV-alkoxide clusters with one and two tungsten atoms. Soft landing of mass-selected ions was used to purify heterometal POV-alkoxides that cannot be readily separated using conventional approaches. The soft landed POV-alkoxides are characterized using infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The redox properties of the isolated ions are examined using an in situ electrochemical cell which enables traditional in vacuo electrochemical measurements inside of an ion soft landing instrument. Although the overall cluster core retains redox activity after tungsten doping, vanadium-based redox couples (VV /VIV ) are shifted substantially, indicating a pronounced effect of a heteroatom on the electronic structure of the core.

Atomically precise vanadium-oxide clusters.

Polyoxovanadate (POV) clusters are an important subclass of polyoxometalates with a broad range of molecular compositions and physicochemical properties. One relatively underdeveloped application of these polynuclear assemblies involves their use as atomically precise, homogenous molecular models for bulk metal oxides. Given the structural and electronic similarities of POVs and extended vanadium oxide materials, as well as the relative ease of modifying the homogenous congeners, investigation of the chemical and physical properties of pristine and modified cluster complexes presents a method toward understanding the influence of structural modifications (e.g. crystal structure/phase, chemical makeup of surface ligands, elemental dopants) on the properties of extended solids. This review summarises recent advances in the use of POV clusters as atomically precise models for bulk metal oxides, with particular focus on the assembly of vanadium oxide clusters and the consequences of altering the molecular composition of the assembly via organofunctionalization and the incorporation of elemental "dopants".

Physicochemical Factors That Influence the Deoxygenation of Oxyanions in Atomically Precise, Oxygen-Deficient Vanadium Oxide Assemblies.

Here, we report our findings related to the structural and electronic considerations that influence the rate of oxygen-atom transfer (OAT) to oxygen-deficient polyoxovanadate alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters ([V6O6(OC2H5)12]n; n = 1-, 0, 1+). A comparison of the reaction times required for the reduction of nitrogen-containing oxyanions (NOx-, x = 2, 3) by the POV-ethoxide cluster in its anionic (1-V6O61-; VIIIVIV5), neutral (4-V6O60; VIIIVIV4VV), or cationic (6-V6O61+; VIIIVIV3VV2) charge state reveals that OAT is significantly influenced by three factors: (1) ion-pairing interactions between the POV-alkoxide and the negatively charged oxyanion; (2) oxidation states of remote vanadyl ions in the Lindqvist assembly; (3) the steric bulk surrounding the coordinatively unsaturated VIII ion. This work provides atomic-level insight related to structure-function relationships that govern the rate of OAT at metal oxide surfaces using polyoxometalate clusters as molecular models.

Oxygen-atom vacancy formation and reactivity in polyoxovanadate clusters.

Reducible metal oxides (RMOs) are widely used materials in heterogeneous catalysis due to their ability to facilitate the conversion of energy-poor substrates to energy-rich chemical fuels and feedstocks. Theoretical investigations have modeled the role of RMOs in catalysis and found they traditionally follow a mechanism in which the generation of oxygen-atom vacancies is crucial for the high activity of these solid supports. However, limited spectroscopic techniques for in situ analysis renders the identification of the reactivity of individual oxygen-atom vacancies on RMOs challenging. These obstacles can be circumvented through the use of homogeneous complexes as molecular models for metal oxides, such as polyoxometalates. Summarized herein, a sub-class of polyoxometalates, polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters, ([V6O7(OR)12]n; R = CH3, C2H5; n = 2-, 1-, 0), are explored as homogeneous molecular models for bulk vanadium oxide. A series of synthetic strategies have been employed to access oxygen-deficient vanadium oxide assemblies, including addition of V(Mes)3(thf), tertiary phosphanes, and organic acids to plenary Lindqvist motifs. We further detail investigations surrounding the ability of these oxygen-deficient sites to mediate reductive transformations such as O2 and NOx1- (x = 2, 3) activation.

Acid-Induced, Oxygen-Atom Defect Formation in Reduced Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxide Clusters.

Here, we present the first example of acid-induced, oxygen-atom abstraction from the surface of a polyoxometalate cluster. Generation of the oxygen-deficient vanadium oxide, [V6O6(OC2H5)12]1-, was confirmed via independent synthesis. Spectroscopic analysis using infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopies affords resolution of the electronic structure of the oxygen-deficient cluster (oxidation state distribution = [VIIIVIV5]). This work has direct implications toward the elucidation of possible mechanisms of acid-assisted vacancy formation in bulk transition metal oxides, in particular electron-proton codoping that has recently been described for vanadium oxide (VO2). Ultimately, these molecular models deepen our understanding of proton-dependent redox chemistry of transition metal oxide surfaces.

Site-selective halogenation of mixed-valent vanadium oxide clusters.

Here, we expand on the synthesis and characterization of chloride-functionalized polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters, to include the halogenation of mixed-valent vanadium oxide assemblies. These findings build on our previously disclosed results describing the preparation of a mono-anionic chloride-functionalized cluster, [V6O6Cl(OC2H5)12]1-, by chlorination of [V6O7(OC2H5)12]2- with AlCl3, aimed at understanding the electronic consequences of the introduction of halide-defects in bulk metal oxides (e.g. VO2). While chlorination of the mixed-valent POV-ethoxide clusters was not possible using AlCl3, we have found that the chloride-substituted oxidized derivatives of the Lindqvist vanadium-oxide clusters can be formed using TiCl3(thf)3 with [V6O7(OC2H5)12]n (n = 1-, 0) or WCl6 with [V6O7(OC2H5)12]0. Characterization of the chloride-containing products, [V6O6Cl(OC2H5)12]n (n = 0, 1+), was accomplished via1H NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and elemental analysis. Electronic analysis of the redox series of Cl-doped POV-alkoxide clusters via infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopies revealed all redox events are localized to the vanadyl portion of the cluster, with the site differentiated VIII-Cl moiety retaining its reduced oxidation state across a 1.9 V window. These results present new synthetic routes for accessing chloride-doped POV-alkoxide clusters from mixed-valent vanadium oxide precursors.

Electronic Consequences of Ligand Substitution at Heterometal Centers in Polyoxovanadium Clusters: Controlling the Redox Properties through Heterometal Coordination Number.

The rational control of the electrochemical properties of polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters is dependent on understanding the influence of various synthetic modifications on the overall redox processes of these systems. In this work, the electronic consequences of ligand substitution at the heteroion in a heterometal-functionalized cluster was examined. The redox properties of [V5 O6 (OCH3 )12 FeCl] (1-[V5 FeCl]) and [V5 O6 (OCH3 )12 Fe]X (2-[V5 Fe]X; X=ClO4 , OTf) were compared in order to assess the effects of changing the coordination environment around the iron center on the electrochemical properties of the cluster. Coordination of a chloride anion to iron leads to an anodic shift in redox events. Theoretical modelling of the electronic structure of these heterometal-functionalized clusters reveals that differences in the redox profiles of 1-[V5 FeCl] and 2-[V5 Fe]X arise from changes in the number of ligands surrounding the iron center (e.g., 6-coordinate vs. 5-coordinate). Specifically, binding of the chloride to the sixth coordination site appears to change the orbital interaction between the iron and the delocalized electronic structure of the mixed-valent polyoxovanadate core. Tuning the heterometal coordination environment can therefore be used to modulate the redox properties of the whole cluster.

Conversion of NOx1- (x = 2, 3) to NO using an oxygen-deficient polyoxovanadate-alkoxide cluster.

We report the activation of nitrogen-containing oxyanions using an oxygen-deficient polyoxovanadate-alkoxide cluster. Reduction of NO21- and NO31- results in near-quantitative oxygen atom transfer to the coordinatively unsaturated VIII ion, and selective formation of NO. These results provide insight into possible mechanisms of oxyanion reduction by polyoxometalates.

Site-Selective Halogenation of Polyoxovanadate Clusters: Atomically Precise Models for Electronic Effects of Anion Doping in VO2.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a monochloride-functionalized polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) cluster, which can serve as a molecular model for halogen-doped vanadium oxide (VO2) materials that have recently attracted great interest as advanced materials for energy-saving smart window applications. Chloride-substituted variants of the Lindqvist vanadium-oxide cluster were obtained via two distinct chemical pathways: (1) direct halogenation of the isovalent parent POV-alkoxide architecture, [V6O7(OC2H5)12]-2 with AlCl3 and (2) coordination of a chloride ion to a coordinatively unsaturated vanadium center within a cluster that bears a single oxygen-atom vacancy, [V6O6(OC2H5)12]0. Notably, our direct halogenation constitutes the first example of selective, single-site halide doping of homometallic metal oxide clusters. The chloride-containing compound, [V6O6Cl(OC2H5)12]-1, was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The electronic structure of the chloride-functionalized POV-alkoxide cluster was established by infrared, electronic absorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and revealed formation of a site-differentiated VIII ion upon halogenation. Cyclic voltammetry was employed to assess the electrochemical response of halide doping. A comparison of the Cl-VO2 model to the fully oxygenated cluster, [V6O7(OC2H5)12]-2, provides molecular-level insights into a new proposed mechanism by which halogenation increases the carrier density in solid VO2, namely, through prompting charge separation within the material.

Oxygen atom transfer with organofunctionalized polyoxovanadium clusters: O-atom vacancy formation with tertiary phosphanes and deoxygenation of styrene oxide.

We report a rare example of oxygen atom transfer (OAT) from a polyoxometalate cluster to a series of tertiary phosphanes. Addition of PR3 (PR3 = PMe3, PMe2Ph, PMePh2, PPh3) to a neutral methoxide-bridged polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) cluster, [V6O7(OMe)12]0, results in isolation of a reduced structure with phosphine oxide datively coordinated to a site-differentiated VIII ion. A positive correlation between the steric and electronic properties of the phosphane and the reaction rate was observed. Further investigation of the steric influence of the alkoxy-bridged clusters on OAT was probed through the use of POV clusters with bridging alkoxide ligands of varying chain length ([V6O7(OR')12]; R' = Et, n Pr). These investigations expose that steric hinderance of the vanadyl moieties has significant influence on the rate of OAT. Finally, we report the reactivity of the reduced POV-alkoxide clusters with styrene oxide, resulting in the deoxygenation of the substrate to generate styrene. This result is the first example of epoxide deoxygenation using homometallic polyoxometalate clusters, demonstrating the potential for mono-vacant Lindqvist clusters to catalyze the removal of oxygen atoms from organic substrates.

Controlling Metal-to-Oxygen Ratios via M═O Bond Cleavage in Polyoxovanadate Alkoxide Clusters.

In this manuscript, we further investigate the use of Lindqvist polyoxovanadate alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters as homogeneous molecular models of reducible metal oxides (RMO), focusing on the structural and electronic consequences of forming one or two oxygen-deficient sites. We demonstrate the reactivity of a neutral POV-alkoxide cluster, [V6O7(OCH3)12]0, with a reductant, revealing routes for controlling metal-to-oxygen ratios in self-assembled polynuclear ensembles through post-synthetic modification. The outlook of this science is bolstered by the fact that, in both cases, O-atom removal reveals reduced V ions at the surface of the cluster. Extending our entry into small-molecule activation mediated by surface defect sites, we report the reactivity of mono- and divacant clusters with a model substrate, tert-butyl isocyanide, demonstrating the electronic consequences of small-molecule coordination to reduced ions in RMO materials.

Organic Functionalization of Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxide Clusters: Improving the Solubility of Multimetallic Charge Carriers for Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries.

The success of nonaqueous redox flow battery technology requires synthetic advances in charge carrier design to increase compatibility with organic solvents. Herein, previous discoveries related to the development of multimetallic charge carriers are built upon with the high-yielding syntheses of ether- functionalized polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters, [V6 O7 (OR)9 (OCH2 )3 CR'] (R=CH3 , C2 H5 ; R'=CH3 , CH2 OCH3 , CH2 OC2 H4 OCH3 ). Like their homoleptic congeners [V6 O7 (OR)12 ] (R=CH3 , C2 H5 ), these clusters exhibit four redox events, spanning nearly a two-volt window, and demonstrate rapid electron-transfer kinetics. The ethoxide derivatives can reversibly cycle two electrons at each electrode in symmetric charging schematics, demonstrating long-term solution stability. Furthermore, ether functionalization yields a twelvefold increase in solubility, a factor which directly dictates the energy density of a redox flow battery.

Oxygen-Atom Vacancy Formation at Polyoxovanadate Clusters: Homogeneous Models for Reducible Metal Oxides.

We report the first example of oxygen-atom vacancy formation at the surface of a polyoxometalate, highlighting the ability of a polyoxovanadate-alkoxide cluster, [V6O7(OCH3)12]1-, to function as a homogeneous model for reducible metal oxides. The removal of an oxide ion from [V6O7(OCH3)12]1- results in the formation of a reactive vanadium(III) cation within the multimetallic framework. Generation of [V6O6(OCH3)12]1- is confirmed by 1H NMR, infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopies, as well as electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The consequences of oxygen atom removal on the electrochemical profile of the assembly are assessed, revealing that stabilization of the reduced cluster is achieved through delocalized electron density. The oxygen-atom vacancy permits activation of O2, demonstrating the ability of polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters to serve as both structural and functional models of reducible metal oxides.