A new photosensitive polyoxometalate (POM) organic-inorganic hybrid compound has been prepared by covalently tethering coumarin moieties onto a Mn-Anderson cluster. This compound has been fully characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, FTIR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy, and ESI-MS. This organic-inorganic hybrid compound can undergo reversible light-driven polymerization and this process has been characterized in detail.

The light-driven reversible dimerization of a coumarin-functionalized organic–inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate anion and the resulting changes in their aggregation and redox-behaviour are reported.