Conventional wisdom maintains that β isomers of fully oxidized Keggin heteropolytungstates,
[X
n
+WVI
12O40](8-
n
)- (X = main-group or transition-metal cation), are unstable with respect to α structures
such that isomeric rearrangements all occur in the direction β → α. Contrary to this view, equilibria between
α and β forms of the Keggin anion [AlIIIW12O40]5- (α- and β-1) have now been observed. Moreover, a trend
in kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of β isomers in the order X = Al(III) > Si(IV) > P(V) has been
established, and the difference in energy between α and β isomers (α- and β-1) has been quantified for the
first time. Mild acid condensation of WO4
2-, followed by addition of Al(III), gave [Al(AlOH2)W11O39]6-
(2)three β-isomer derivatives, β1 (C
s
symmetry), β2 (C
1), and β3 (C
s
), with the α derivative (C
s
) a minor
productin nearly quantitative yield by 27Al NMR spectroscopy. Acidification of the reaction mixture to pH
0 and refluxing cleanly converted 2 to H5[AlIIIW12O40] (1)mostly β-1 (yellow, C
3
v
), with α-1 (white, T
d
) a
minor product. Samples of each isomer were isolated by fractional crystallization and characterized by 27Al
and 183W NMR, IR, and UV−vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The
Al−O bond length in the T
d
AlO4 group at the center of α-1 (hydrated potassium salt of α-1; final R
1 =
3.42%) establishes a trend in X−O bond lengths in the [X
n
+O4](8-
n
)- groups of α-Keggin anions of 1.74(1),
1.64(2), and 1.53(1) Å, respectively, for X = Al(III), Si(IV), and P(V). Equilibria between isomers of 1 were
observed by heating separate 0.1 M aqueous solutions of either pure α or β anions under identical conditions.
The progress of the reaction was measured, and the relative concentrations of the α and β isomers present at
equilibrium were determined by 27Al NMR spectroscopy. First-order rate constants for approach to equilibrium
of α- and β-1 at 473 K were k
1(
α
→
β
) = 7.68 × 10-7 s-1 and k
-
1(
β
→
α
) = 6.97 × 10-6 s-1. The equilibrium ratio
of β-1 to α-1 (k
1/k
-
1) was K
eq(473
K,
0.1
M
1
) = 0.11 ± 0.01. From ΔG = −RT ln K
eq, α-1 is more stable than
β-1 by 2.1 ± 0.5 kcal mol-1. Controlled hydrolysis of α-1 gave the monolacunary derivative α-Na9[AlW11O39]
(α-3; C
s
); hydrolysis of β-1 gave β2-3 (C
1) as the major product. Thermal equilibration of the lacunary Keggin
heteropolytungstates could also be achieved: Independently heated solutions of either α-3 or β2-3 (0.13 M of
either isomer in D2O at 333 K; natural pH values of ca. 7) both gave solutions containing α-3 (60%) and a
single β-3 isomer of C
s
symmetry (40%). Using K
eq = 1.5, the two isomers differ in energy by 0.3 kcal mol-1.