Chiral metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with porous and tunable natures have made them feasible for performing a variety of chemical reactions as heterogeneous asymmetric catalysts. By incorporating the oxidation catalyst [BW12O40](5-) and the chiral group, L- or D-pyrrolidin-2-ylimidazole (PYI), into one single framework, the two enantiomorphs Ni-PYI1 and Ni-PYI2 were obtained via self-assembly, respectively. The channels of Ni-PYIs were enlarged through a guest exchange reaction to remove the cationic chiral templates and were well modulated with hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties to allow molecules of both H2O2 and olefin ingress and egress. The coexistence of both the chiral directors and the oxidants within a confined space provided a special environment for the formation of reaction intermediates in a stereoselective fashion with high selectivity. The resulting MOF acted as an amphipathic catalyst to prompt the asymmetric dihydroxylation of aryl olefins with excellent stereoselectivity.

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Rational self-assembly of hexaniobate Lindqvist-type precursor [HNb6O19]7- with soluble Cu2+ salts utilizing different strategies produces a series of giant polyniobate clusters, namely, (H2en)1.25[Cu(en)2(H2O)]2Cl4[Nb24O72H21.5]7 H2O (1; en: ethylenediamine), [Cu(en)2]3[Cu(en)2(H2O)]9[{H2Nb6O19} subset{[({KNb24O72H10.25}{Cu(en)2})2{Cu3(en)3(H2O)3}{Na1.5Cu1.5(H2O)8}{Cu(en)2}4]6}]144 H2O (2), K12Na4[H23NaO8Cu24(Nb7O22)8]106 H2O (3), and K16Na12[H9Cu25.5O8(Nb7O22)8] 73.5 H2O (4). Their structures were determined and further characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, IR and Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and elemental analysis. Structural analyses reveal that compound 2 comprises a giant capsule anion based on a wheel-shaped cluster encapsulating a Lindqvist diprotonated cluster [H2Nb6O19]6- unit, and forms a honeycomb-like structure with the inclusion of Lindqvist-type anions [H2Nb6O19]6- in the holes, whereas 3 and 4 represent an unprecedented giant cube-shaped framework. All the compounds are built from [Nb7O22]9- fundamental building blocks. Solution Raman spectroscopy studies of 2 and 3 reveal that the solid-state structures of these polyniobate cluster anions disassemble and exist in the form of the [Nb6O19]8- unit in solution. Magnetic susceptibility measurement of 3 shows antiferromagnetic coupling interactions between CuII ions with the spin-canting phenomenon.

A series of inorganic–organic hybrid multifunctional crystalline materials constructed using double-tartaric bridging mono-lanthanide substituted phosphotungstates display reversible photochromic, switchable luminescence, and magnetic properties.

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Two 2:2 types of monolanthanide substituted polyoxometalates [{(R-PW 11 O 39 H)Ln(H 2 O) 3 } 2 ] 6-(Ln=Nd III for 1 and Gd III for 2) and [{(R-PW 11 O 39 )Ln(H 2 O)(η 2 ,μ-1,1)-CH 3 COO} 2 ] 10-(Ln=Sm III for 3, Eu III for 4, Gd III for 5, Tb III for 6, Ho III for 7 and Er III for 8) have been synthesized in aqueous solution and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, UV-vis-NIR spectra, thermogravimatric analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The common structural features are that they are constructed from monovacant Keggin-type polyoxoanions [R-PW 11 O 39 ] 7and trivalent lanthanide cations. Both 1 and 2 are essentially isomorphous, and the molecular structure is built by two symmetrically related monolanthanide substituted Keggin units [R-PW 11 O 39 Ln(H 2 O) 3 ] 4linked via two Ln-O-W bridges, representing the first monovacant Keggin polyoxotungstate dimers constituted by two [R-PW 11 O 39 ] 7polyoxoanions and two lanthanide cations in polyoxometalate chemistry. 3-8 are also isostructural and display another dimeric structure constructed from two monolanthanide substituted units [(R-PW 11 O 39 )Ln(H 2 O)(η 2 ,μ-1,1)-CH 3 COO] 5bridged by two (η 2 ,μ-1,1)-acetato ligands. The photoluminescence properties of 4 and 6 were investigated at room temperature. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 between 2 and 300 K exhibit that their magnetic behaviors mainly result from the spin-orbital coupling interactions as well as weak antiferromagnetic exchange interactions within magnetic centers. The electrochemical properties of 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 were studied by means of cyclic voltammetry in aqueous solution with 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 as supporting electrolyte.

A solvated complex of alpha-H(4)SiW(12)O(40).4HMPA.2H(2)O composed the heteropolytungstate alpha-H(4)SiW(12)O(40) and the organic substrate hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) has been synthesised, purified, and characterized. The electronic spectra (lambda = 220-500 nm) as well as the (1)H NMR spectra for the title compound dissolved in CD(3)CN establish that this complex dissociates into free SiW(12)O(40)(4)(-) and HMPA moieties in solution unless the organic substrate HMPA is present in very high concentrations. The solid reflectance electronic spectra and IR spectra indicate that there is interaction between the alpha-H(4)SiW(12)O(40) and the organic substrate. The complex has no photosensitivity under irradiation of sunlight, but under the near-UV light result in a charge transfer by oxidation of the HMPA and the reduction of the polyoxometalate. Light yellow polyhedrons of the title compound crystallize from the aqueous solvent of acetonitrile and aqueous solution as the formula of alpha-H(4)SiW(12)O(40).4HMPA.2H(2)O in the monoclinic, space group P2(1). The unit cell has a = 12.791(3) Å, b = 22.103(6) Å, c = 15.532(4) Å, beta = 102.860(10) degrees, and Z = 2. From the bond-valence parameters, it was found that the four hydrogen atoms of the polyoxometalate were combined with the N atoms of the four HMPA respectively. The title compound shows a certain second-order and third-order nonlinear optical response of I(2)(omega) = 0.7I(2)(omega)(KDP) and chi((3)) = 2.63 x 10(-)(11) esu, respectively.

Photocatalytic technology is widely studied, while it comes with drawbacks such as low sunlight utilization efficiency and high carrier recombination rates. Herein, for the first time, we present two crystalline polyoxometalate (POM)-based metal−organic frameworks (POMOFs), {[Cd(DMF) 2 Ru(bpy) through assembling the photosensitizer [Ru-(bpy) 2 (H 2 dcbpy)]Cl 2 and POMs into a single framework. The assembly not only enhances light absorption in the visible light regime but also improves carrier separation efficiency; atop of that, both POMOFs demonstrate activities in the photocatalytic oxidative coupling of amines. Particularly, PMo-1 enables the quantitative completion of oxidative coupling of benzylamine reaction within 30 min (yield = 99.6%) with a high turnover frequency (TOF = 6631.6 h −1 ). To our knowledge, the PMo-1 catalyst outperforms any other photocatalysts previously reported in similar use cases where TOF values were usually obtained <2000 h −1 .