A Lewis acid catalytic core sandwiched by inorganic polyoxoanion caps: selective H2O2-based oxidations with [Al(III)4(H2O)10(ß-XW9O33H)2](6-) (X = As(III), Sb(III)).

The Al(III)-containing polyanions [Al(III)4(H2O)10(ß-XW9O33H)2](4-) with X = As(III) (1) and Sb(III) (2) feature four aluminum(III) centers sandwiched by two trivacant (ß-XW9O33) Keggin units, and trigger peroxide catalysis as well as substrate coordination via multiple Lewis acid site interactions.

Alpha and beta isomers of tetrahafnium(IV) containing decatungstosilicates, [Hf4(OH)6(CH3COO)2(x-SiW10O37)2]12- (x = α, ß).

The two dimeric, Hf-containing tungstosilicates [Hf(4)(OH)(6)(CH(3)COO)(2)(α-SiW(10)O(37))(2)](12-) (1) and [Hf(4)(OH)(6)(CH(3)COO)(2)(ß-SiW(10)O(37))(2)](12-) (2) have been synthesized by reacting HfCl(4) with [γ-SiW(10)O(36)](8-) in potassium acetate solutions at pH = 3.6 and 4.8, respectively. Polyanions 1 and 2 comprise a tetrahafnium(iv) assembly {Hf(4)(OH)(6)(CH(3)COO)(2)} sandwiched between two dilacunary [α-SiW(10)O(36)](8-) (in 1) or {ß-SiW(10)} (in 2) Keggin type decatungstosilicates. This implies that the starting precursor {γ-SiW(10)} isomerizes in situ to [ß-SiW(10)O(37)](10-) and then to [α-SiW(10)O(37)](10-) by controlled variation of pH and temperature. The hydrated potassium salts of 1 and 2 were investigated in the solid state by single-crystal XRD, FT-IR, thermogravimetric and elemental analyses, and in solution by UV-Vis and (183)W NMR spectroscopy, and electrochemistry.

Cobalt, manganese, nickel, and vanadium derivatives of the cyclic 48-tungsto-8-phosphate [H(7)P(8)W(48)O(184)](33-).

The cobalt(II) containing tungstophosphate [Co(4)(H(2)O)(16)P(8)W(48)O(184)](32-) (1) has been synthesized by addition of Co(2+) ions to an aqueous solution of [H(7)P(8)W(48)O(184)](33-) (P(8)W(48)) and characterized by single-crystal XRD, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis, electrochemistry, and magnetochemistry. The novel polyanion 1 is a derivative of the superlacunary P(8)W(48) with four cobalt(II) ions coordinated to the rim of the central cavity and two additional cobalt(II) ions linked on the outside bridging neighboring polyanions. Using similar synthetic procedures, but adding a few drops of H(2)O(2), we isolated the manganese(II) derivative [Mn(4)(H(2)O)(16)(P(8)W(48)O(184))(WO(2)(H(2)O)(2))(2)](28-) (2) and its nickel(II) analogue [Ni(4)(H(2)O)(16)(P(8)W(48)O(184))(WO(2)(H(2)O)(2))(2)](28-) (3). Both polyanions have picked up two equivalents of tungsten resulting in the unprecedented {P(8)W(50)} host framework. We also made the vanadium(V) derivative [(VO(2))(4)(P(8)W(48)O(184))](36-) (4), with four tetrahedral vanadate groups grafted to the P(8)W(48) host. The voltammetric patterns associated with the W-centers in polyanions 1, 2, and 4 display enough distinct features allowing for a qualitative classification according to relative basicity of the reduced polyanions: 2 > P(8)W(48) > 1 > 4. The electrochemistry of 1 offers a new example for detection of the Co(2+) centers in a multicobalt containing polyanion. During a study of the Mn(2+) centers of 2 at pH 5, a film deposition is observed. The vanadium(V) centers of 4 are well-behaved in a pH 0.33 medium. Temperature and magnetic field dependence of the magnetic moment of 1-3 were performed on a SQUID magnetometer over the temperature range 1.8-250 K and field range 0-7 T. The results are consistent with the model of noninteracting 3d metal ions. Variable temperature (4-295 K) and variable frequency (34-413 GHz) EPR measurements support the magnetic susceptibility results. The zero-field splitting D and g values obtained for 1-3 are in agreement with those reported for high-spin Co(2+), Mn(2+), and Ni(2+) ions in axially distorted octahedral environments.

Large cation-anion materials based on trinuclear ruthenium(III) salts of Keggin and Wells-Dawson anions having water-filled channels.

Reaction of the trinuclear ruthenium(III) cation [Ru(3)O(OOCCH(3))(6)(CH(3)OH)(3)](+) with the Keggin-type [alpha-GeW(11)O(39)](8-), [alpha-SiW(11)O(39)](8-), and [alpha-SiMo(12)O(40)](4-) and the Wells-Dawson-type [alpha-P(2)W(18)O(62)](6-) polyanions in an aqueous, acidic medium resulted in plenary polyoxometalate-based materials K(2)Na[Ru(3)O(OOCCH(3))(6)(H(2)O)(3)][alpha-GeW(12)O(40)].10H(2)O (1), K(3)[Ru(3)O(OOCCH(3))(6)(H(2)O)(3)][alpha-SiW(12)O(40)].18H(2)O (2), K(3)[Ru(3)O(OOCCH(3))(6)(H(2)O)(3)][alpha-SiMo(12)O(40)].7H(2)O (3), and K(2)Na[Ru(3)O(OOCCH(3))(6)(H(2)O)(3)](3)[alpha-P(2)W(18)O(62)].26H(2)O (4), respectively. All four materials, 1-4, crystallize as sodium and/or potassium salts in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n. Compounds 1-4 were characterized by IR, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal/powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The isolated solid-state frameworks, composed of cocrystallized trinuclear ruthenium cations and polyanions, exhibit nanosized voids filled with crystal waters. These water molecules can be removed reversibly upon heating under a vacuum, and powder XRD measurements demonstrated that the crystallinity of the compound was preserved. Sorption studies on ethanol and methanol were also performed.

Solvent-free aerobic oxidation of n-alkane by iron(III)-substituted polyoxotungstates immobilized on SBA-15.

The tetrairon(III)-substituted polytungstates [Fe(4)(H(2)O)(10)(beta-XW(9)O(33))(2)](n-) (n = 6, X = As(III), Sb(III); n = 4, X = Se(IV), Te(IV)) were immobilized on (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-modified SBA-15 and showed an excellent catalytic performance for solvent-free aerobic oxidation of long-chain n-alkanes using air as the oxidant under ambient conditions through a classical free-radical chain autoxidation mechanism.

In situ approaches to establish colloidal growth kinetics.

A technique based on the back scattering phenomenon of dynamic light scattering has been employed to monitor the kinetics of gold and platinum metal nanoparticle growth and silver nanoparticle oxidation as well as in the determination of particle sizes ranging from 1 to 200 nm in diameter. The systems were chosen to examine the applicability of dynamic light scattering to nanoresearch over a broad range of sizes as well as both metallic and nonmetallic systems. The advantages of this instrumentation over traditional instruments such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been highlighted.