A first example of polyoxotungstate-based giant molecule. Synthesis and molecular structure of a tetrapod-shaped Ti–O–Ti bridged anhydride form of Dawson tri-titanium(iv)-substituted polyoxotungstate

Abstract

The preparation and structural characterization of a giant “tetrapod”-shaped inorganic molecule, [(α-1,2,3-P2W15Ti3O60.5)4Cl]37− ,1a (abbreviated to {TiO6}12; FW ∼15700), consisting of four tri-TiIV-1,2,3-substituted α-Dawson substructures and one encapsulated Cl− ion, are described. A water-soluble, all-inorganic composition compound of the tetrameric Ti–O–Ti bridged anhydride form, NaxH33−xK4[1a]·yH2O, 1 (x = 21–26, y = 60–70), being afforded by a stoichiometric reaction in aqueous solution of tri-lacunary Dawson polyoxotungstate Na12[B-α-P2W15O56]·19H2O with 3 equiv of Ti(SO4)2·4H2O in HCl-acidic aqueous solution followed by exchanging the countercation, was obtained as analytically pure, homogeneous colorless plate crystals. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis revealed that the polyoxoanion 1a was an inorganic, giant “tetrapod”-shaped molecule (described as a sphere with a diameter of ∼31.2 A) with approximately Td symmetry. Characterization of 1 was also accomplished by complete elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FTIR, UV-vis absorption and solution (31P and 183W) NMR spectroscopy.