Polyoxometalates (POMs) are inorganic entities featuring extensive and sometimes unusual redox properties. In this work, several experimental techniques as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been applied to identify and assess the relevance of factors influencing the redox potentials of POMs. First, the position of the Mo substituent atom in the Wells-Dawson structure, α1- or α2-P2W17Mo, determines the potential of the first 1e(-) reduction wave. For P2W(18-x)Mox systems containing more than one Mo atom, reduction takes place at successively more positive potentials. We attribute this fact to the higher electron delocalization when some Mo oxidizing atoms are connected. After having analyzed the experimental and theoretical data for the monosubstituted α1- and α2-P2W17Mo anions, some relevant facts arise that may help to rationalize the redox behavior of POMs in general. Three aspects concern the stability of systems: (i) the favorable electron delocalization, (ii) the unfavorable e(-)-e(-) electrostatic repulsion, and (iii) the favorable electron pairing. They explain trends such as the second reduction wave occurring at more positive potentials in α1- than in α2-P2W17Mo, and also the third electron reduction taking place at a less negative potential in the case of α2, reversing the observed behavior for the first and the second waves. In P2W17V derivatives, the nature of the first "d" electron is more localized because of the stronger oxidant character of V(V). Thus, the reduction potentials as well as the computed reduction energies (REs) for the second reduction of either isomer are closer to each other than in Mo-substituted POMs. This may be explained by the lack of electron delocalization in monoreduced P2W17V(IV) systems.

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Abstract:The chemistry of polyoxometalates (POMs) keeps drawing the attention of researchers, since they constitute a family of discrete molecular entities whose features may be easily modulated. Often considered soluble molecular oxide analogues, POMs possess enormous potential due to a myriad of choices concerning size, shape and chemical composition that may be tailored in order to fine-tune their physico-chemical properties. Thanks to the recent progress in single-crystal X ray diffraction, new POMs exhibiting diverse and unexpected structures have been regularly reported and described. We find it relevant to systematically analyse the different equilibria that govern the formation of POMs, in order to be able to establish reliable synthesis protocols leading to new molecules. In this context, we have been able to synthesise the Eu 3+ -containing silico-molybdo-tungstic dimer,

Three Wells-Dawson polyoxotungstates-based hybrid compounds of general formula [M(CHNO)][{M(CHNO)}(μ-PWO)]· nCHNO· n'HO [with M = Mn (1), Fe (2), Co (3) ; n = 2, 2, 3 and n' = 0, 0, 1, respectively] were synthesized at room temperature by a facile method and characterized by IR and H andP NMR spectroscopy studies, thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry thermal analyses, UV-vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) powder and single-crystal XRD analyses, and cyclic voltammetry studies. From the X-ray study, it was established that the metal (M = Mn, Fe, Co) is located on an inversion center, being octahedrally coordinated to six dimethylformamide (DMF) molecules to form the complex cation [M(dmf)]. Also, in the dinuclear complex anion [{M(dmf)}(μ-PWO)], the M atoms are coordinated to five DMF molecules through the oxygen atoms, while the sixth coordination site is occupied by a terminal oxygen atom of the Wells-Dawson anion [PWO] that plays the role of a bridging ligand. The crystal components are connected through numerous weak C-H···O hydrogen bonds to construct a three-dimensional network. The UV-vis shows the two characteristic absorption bands for the three compounds at 266-268 and 297 nm. These two strong bands are attributed to the charge-transfer absorption band of Ot-W and Ob/c-W, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry study of compounds (1), (2), and (3) reveals at least two reduction reversible peaks ascribed to a Wells-Dawson cluster.