Surfactant-assisted synthesis of Keggin-type polyoxometalates nanorods

It was demonstrated that Keggin-type polyoxometalates nanorods (POMs-nanorods) were prepared from a solution containing a surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG), when heteropolyanions [X(n+)M12O40](-(8-n)) (X(n+) = P5+ and Si4+; M = W and Mo) were precipitated by ammonia ion obtained by hydrolysis of urea at 373 K. In this method, PEG was used as a template and ammonia ion (NH4+) was a counterion. In an oil bath kept at 373 K without stirring, three kinds of ammonium salts of POMs, i.e., (NH4)3PW12O40, (NH4)4SiW12O40, and (NH4)3PMo12O40 nanorods were obtained. The POMs-nanorods were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), infrared spectra (IR), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). TEM showed that nanorods were 0.5-1.5 microm in length, and 50-150 nm in diameter. The results of IR, ICP-AES and XRD proved the existence of Keggin structure. The formation process of POMs-nanorods, (NH4)(8-n) [X(n+)M12O40](-(8-n)) (X(n+) = P5+ and Si4+; M = W and Mo) in a H2O/PEG system was discussed.