By intentionally involving in situ ligand transformation in the reaction system, two inorganic–organic hybrid polyoxovanadates (POVs), [Co­(HDTBA)­V2O6] (1) and [Ni­(H2O)2(DTBA)2V2O4(OH)2]·4H2O (2), have been synthesized by using a hydrothermal method, where the 3,5-di­[1,2,4]­triazol-1-ylbenzoic acid (HDTBA) ligand originated from in situ hydrolysis of 3,5-di­[1,2,4]­triazol-1-ylbenzonitrile in the self-assembly process. The inorganic layers [Co2(V4O12)] n containing [V4O12]4– circle clusters were linked by HDTBA ligands to yield a 3D framework structure of compound 1. There existed a kind of binuclear [(DTBA)2V2O4(OH)2]2– vanadium cluster grafted directly by two DTBA ligands through the sharing of carboxyl oxygen atoms in compound 2, further extended into a 2D layer by nickel centers. The investigations on the catalytic properties indicated that compounds 1 and 2 as heterogeneous catalysts, especially 2, owned satisfying catalytic performances for catalyzing the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidant, accompanied by excellent conversion of 100% and selectivity of above 99%, providing a promising way for developing inorganic–organic hybrid POVs as effective heterogeneous catalysts for catalyzing the selective oxidation of sulfides.

To construct polyoxometalate-based complexes as electrode materials for supercapacitors and electrochemical sensors, we intentionally used in situ ligand transformation during the reaction. Two complexes based on polyoxometalates capped by zinc ions, H­{Zn4(DIBA)4[(DIBA)­(HPO2)]2(α-PMoVI 8MoV 4O40Zn2)} (1) and [ε-PMoV 8MoVI 4O37(OH)3Zn4(HDBIBA)2]·6H2O (2) [DIBA = 3,5-di­(1H-imidazol-1-yl)­benzoic acid, and DBIBA = 3,5-bis­(1H-benzoimidazol-1-yl)­benzoic acid], have been prepared successfully. The DIBA and DBIBA ligands were generated in situ from initial materials 3,5-di­(1H-imidazol-1-yl)­benzonitrile and 3,5-di­(1H-benzoimidazol-1-yl)­benzonitrile. The three-dimensional structure of 1 consisted of two-dimensional interpenetrating layers and polyoxometalate-based chains composed of bicapped α-PMo12Zn2 polyoxoanions and phosphite-modified DIBA ligands. In 2, a kind of tetracapped ε-PMo12Zn4 polyoxoanion exists, which was further linked by DBIBA ligands into a one-dimensional chain. Two complexes could be employed as not only electrode materials for supercapacitors with specific capacitances of 171.17 F g–1 for 1 and 146.77 F g–1 for 2 at 0.5 A g–1 but also efficient electrochemical sensors for detecting Cr­(VI) with excellent limits of detection of 0.026 μM for 1 and 0.035 μM for 2, which represents a hopeful approach for exploiting polyoxometalate-based complexes as supercapacitor and electrochemical sensor materials.

From a study of entropy changes for complex ions support has been found for Gurney's result that the standard partial molar entropy of the hydrogen ion (Sit) has an absolute value of --5 5 cal/g ion deg. On this basis, other absolute ionic values can be deduced for standard partial molar entropies So, entropies of transport S*',-and transported entropies 3". A plot of 5' against S" for a variety of ions indicates that S*" and increase stepwise with numerical charge and that, on the basis of the above datum for 5'2, such plots_for cations and anions (with the same numerical charge) are colinear. The transported entropies A& of hydration of ions are evaluated and found to conform to the Born relation better than do the usual entropies of hydration Ash.

Three inorganic–organic hybrid polyoxometalates were prepared using a bis-imidazole ligand featuring carbazole as a connector, exhibiting not only diverse structures, but also good electrochemical sensing activities for bromate, as well as efficient catalytic performances for oxidation of thioether.

Post‐processing methods have been widely reported as an effective method to purify and functionalize the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We used a new Co‐based coordination polymer (CP) as a catalyst precursor to synthesize multi‐walled CNTs (MWCNTs) by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and examined the use of acidification, carbonization and functionalization treatments in an attempt to achieve experimental conditions which efficiently functionalize the surface of MWCNTs. Our results indicate that post‐processing methods can efficiently tune the quality and purity of MWCNTs, and these methods play important roles in dye adsorption.