Recent reports on vanadium based coordination polymers and MOFs

Coordination polymers (CP) and metal-organic frameworks (MOF) have become a topic of immense interest in this century primarily because of the structural diversity that they offer. This structural diversity results in their multifaceted utility in various fields of science and technology such as catalysis, medicine, gas storage or separation, conductivity and magnetism. Their utility inspires a large variety of scientists to engage with them in their scientific pursuit thus creating a buzz around them in the scientific community. Metals capable of forming CPs and MOFs are primarily transition metals. Among them vanadium-based CPs and MOFs demand detailed discussion because of the unique nature of vanadium which makes it stable in many oxidation states and coordination number. Vanadium’s versatility imparts additional structural marvel and usefulness to these CPs and MOFs.

First Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Compounds Formed by Ge-V-O Clusters and Transition Metal Complexes of Aromatic Organic Ligands

Three compounds based on Ge-V-O clusters were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by IR, UV-Vis, XRD, ESR, elemental analysis and X-ray crystal structural analysis. Both [Cd(phen)(en)]2[Cd2(phen)2V12O40Ge8(OH)8(H2O)]∙12.5H2O (1) and [Cd(DETA)]2[Cd(DETA)2]0.5[Cd2(phen)2V12O41Ge8(OH)7(0.5H2O)]∙7.5H2O (2) (1,10-phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, en = ethylenediamine, DETA = diethylenetriamine) are the first Ge-V-O cluster compounds containing aromatic organic ligands. Compound 1 is the first dimer of Ge-V-O clusters, which is linked by a double bridge of two [Cd(phen)(en)]2+. Compound 2 exhibits an unprecedented 1-D chain structure formed by Ge-V-O clusters and [Cd2(DETA)2]4+ transition metal complexes (TMCs). [Cd(en)3]{[Cd(η2-en)2]3[Cd(η2-en)(η2-μ2-en)(η2-en)Cd][Ge6V15O48(H2O)]}∙5.5H2O (3) is a novel 3-D structure which is constructed from [Ge6V15O48(H2O)]12− and four different types of TMCs. We also synthesized [Zn2(enMe)3][Zn(enMe)]2[Zn(enMe)2(H2O)]2[Ge6V15O48(H2O)]∙3H2O (4) and [Cd(en)2]2{H8[Cd(en)]2Ge8V12O48(H2O)}∙6H2O (5) (enMe = 1,2-propanediamine), which have been reported previously. In addition, the catalytic properties of these five compounds for styrene epoxidation have been assessed.

Synthesis and crystal structure of bis-[μ-N,N-bis-(2-amino-eth-yl)ethane-1,2-di-amine]-bis-[N,N-bis-(2-amino-eth-yl)ethane-1,2-di-amine]-μ4-oxido-hexa-μ3-oxido-octa-μ2-oxido-tetra-oxido-tetra-nickel(II)hexa-tantalum(V) nona-deca-hydrate

Reaction of K8{Ta6O19}·16H2O with [Ni(tren)(H2O)Cl]Cl·H2O in different solvents led to the formation of single crystals of the title compound, [Ni4Ta6O19(C6H18N4)4]·19H2O or {[Ni2(κ4-tren)(μ-κ3-tren)]2Ta6O19}·19H2O (tren is N,N-bis-(2-amino-eth-yl)-1,2-ethanediamine, C6H18N4). In its crystal structure, one Lindqvist-type anion {Ta6O19}8- (point group symmetry ) is connected to two NiII cations, with both of them coordinated by one tren ligand into discrete units. Both NiII cations are sixfold coordinated by O atoms of the anion and N atoms of the organic ligand, resulting in slightly distorted [NiON5] octa-hedra for one and [NiO3N3] octa-hedra for the other cation. These clusters are linked by inter-molecular O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding involving water mol-ecules into layers parallel to the bc plane. Some of these water mol-ecules are positionally disordered and were refined using a split model. Powder X-ray diffraction revealed that a pure crystalline phase was obtained but that on storage at room-temperature this compound decomposed because of the loss of crystal water mol-ecules.

Ordnung muss sein: heteroelement order and disorder in polyoxovanadates

Three new mixed antimonato–germanato polyoxovanadates exhibit different degrees of order of their unique crystallographic heterometal atom positions.

Catalysis of "outer-phase" oxygen atom exchange reactions by encapsulated "inner-phase" water in {V15Sb6}-type polyoxovanadates

Antimonato polyoxovanadate (POV) cluster compounds {M(en)3}3[V15Sb6O42(H2O) x ]·nH2O (M = FeII, CoII, NiII and x = 0 or 1) obtained under solvothermal conditions exhibit unusual high water solubility making these compounds promising synthons for generation of new POV structure types. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry provides evidence (i) for a water molecule encapsulated inside the cavity of a fraction of the spherical cluster shells, (ii) for a post-functionalization in water, namely a slow exchange of VO against Sb2O, (iii) for the inner-phase reactivity of the encapsulated water that is capable of opening an oxo-bridge, and (iv) for a significant acceleration of the 16O/18O exchange reactions of oxygen atoms in the cluster periphery with surrounding H218O, when encapsulated water is present. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example in polyoxovanadate chemistry for the transduction of inner-phase reactivity of an encapsulated guest molecule into changes in the outer-phase reactivity of the cluster. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reflect the individual contributions of the frustrated {V15} spin polytope and the {M(en)3}2+ complexes, with very weak coupling between these groups.

Supramolecular hexagonal nano tubes assembled by vanadium diamine complexes with thiogermanates

A supramolecular hexagonal nano tube is characterized, which is assembled by oxo-vanadium thiogermanate in a sulfur–diamine reduction system.

Design and synthesis of purely inorganic 3D frameworks composed of reduced vanadium clusters and manganese linkers

Two purely inorganic three-dimensional (3D) frameworks [Mn4(H2O)11V(IV)(18)O42(PO4)](7-) (1) and [Mn2(H2O)7V(IV)(18)O42(PO4)](11-) (2) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and PXRD. Structural analysis revealed that these two compounds contained a similar all reduced polyoxoanion [V(IV)(18)O42(PO4)](15-) linked by different amounts of manganese centers to form 3D framework materials. The V centers in these two compounds were all reduced to the +IV oxidation state, resulting in an all reduced polyoxoanion, which was firstly used as the building block for constructing 3D framework materials. The all reduced typical polyoxoanion [V(IV)(18)O42(PO4)](15-) with 15 negative charges supplied enough charge amount to accept TM cations. In these two structures, the anions were surrounded by 12 and 5 Mn(2+) ions, respectively, adjusted by varying the feeding amount of MnCl2·4H2O. An electrocatalytic study revealed that compound 1 exhibits electrocatalytic activity for reduction of H2O2.

Semimetal-functionalised polyoxovanadates

Polyoxovanadates (POVs), known for their wide applicability and relevance in chemical, physical and biological sciences, are a subclass of polyoxometalates and usually self-assemble in aqueous-phase, pH-controlled condensation reactions. Archetypical POVs such as the robust [VO42](12-) polyoxoanion can be structurally, electronically and magnetically altered by heavier group 14 and 15 elements to afford Si-, Ge-, As- or Sb-decorated POV structures (heteroPOVs). These main-group semimetals introduce specific chemically engineered functionalities which cause the generally hydrophilic heteroPOV compounds to exhibit interesting reactivity towards organic molecules, late transition metal and lanthanoid ions. The fully-oxidised (V(V)), mixed-valent (V(V)/V(IV) and V(IV)/V(III)), "fully-reduced" (V(IV)) and "highly-reduced" (V(III)) heteroPOVs possess a number of intriguing properties, ranging from catalytic to molecular magnet characteristics. Herein, we review key developments in the synthetic and structural chemistry as well as the reactivity of POVs functionalised with Si-, Ge-, As- or Sb-based heterogroups.