Multifunctional materials based on polyoxovanadates (POVs)
have
rarely been reported. Herein, we used aryl sulfonium counterions (ASCIs)
bearing a salicylaldehyde-type functionality to tune the properties
of decavanadate ([V10O28]6–)-based hybrids for their application in photochromism and heterogeneous
oxidative desulfurization (ODS) catalysis. The counterions FHPDS ((3-formyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)dimethylsulfonium),
DFHPDS ((3,5-diformyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)dimethylsulfonium), and EFPDS
((4-ethoxy-3-formylphenyl)dimethylsulfonium) were clubbed with the
decavanadate cluster to generate the hybrids (FHPDS)4[H2V10O28](H2O)4 (HY1), (DFHPDS)4[H2V10O28](H2O)3 (HY2), and (EFPDS)4[H2V10O28](H2O)6 (HY3). The photochromic properties of these
hybrids were tested under 365 nm irradiation, which showed a color
change from yellow to green. Different hybrids exhibited different
photocoloration half-life (t
1/2) values
in the range of 0.77–28.38 min, suggesting the dependence of
the photocoloration properties upon functional groups on the counterions.
The hybrid HY2, having a 2,6-diformyl phenol moiety on
the ASCI, exhibited an impressive t
1/2 of 0.77 min. UP to 70% reversibility of photocoloration was achieved
for the best photochromic hybrid HY2 in 48 h at 70 °C
under an oxygen atmosphere. Theoretical and experimental data suggested
that some of these aryl sulfonium POVs follow a different e––h+ stabilization mechanism than traditional sulfonium
POM hybrids. Further, the salicylaldehyde-type ASCIs control the solubility
of the decavanadate hybrids, which enables their application as heterogeneous
catalysts for the selective oxidation of various sulfides. The nature
of the substituents on the ASCIs also affected their catalytic activities;
the counterion that facilitates the reversible V4+/V5+ switching enhances the catalytic ODS efficiency of the hybrids.
Using HY2 as the catalyst, up to 99% conversion and 96%
selectivity toward sulfones were achieved in dibenzothiophene (DBT)
oxidation. The present study suggests a new promising approach for
controlling POVs’ photoresponsive and catalytic properties
by using ASCIs bearing salicylaldehyde-type functional moieties.