Controlling Metal-to-Oxygen Ratios via M═O Bond Cleavage in Polyoxovanadate Alkoxide Clusters

In this manuscript, we further investigate the use of Lindqvist polyoxovanadate alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters as homogeneous molecular models of reducible metal oxides (RMO), focusing on the structural and electronic consequences of forming one or two oxygen-deficient sites. We demonstrate the reactivity of a neutral POV-alkoxide cluster, [V₆O₇(OCH₃)₁₂]⁰, with a reductant, revealing routes for controlling metal-to-oxygen ratios in self-assembled polynuclear ensembles through post-synthetic modification. The outlook of this science is bolstered by the fact that, in both cases, O-atom removal reveals reduced V ions at the surface of the cluster. Extending our entry into small-molecule activation mediated by surface defect sites, we report the reactivity of mono- and divacant clusters with a model substrate, tert-butyl isocyanide, demonstrating the electronic consequences of small-molecule coordination to reduced ions in RMO materials.