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Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Preparation of Polyoxometalate-based Photo-responsive Membranes for the Photo-activation of Manganese Oxide Catalysts
Published on: August 7, 2018
Organofunctionalized borotungstate polyoxometalates as tunable photocatalysts for oxidative dimerization of amines
Nicole Tsang1,2, Alexander J Kibler1,2, Stephen P Argent2
1The GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratories for Sustainable Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus Triumph Road Nottingham NG7 2TU UK hon.lam@nottingham.ac.uk kieran.jones@nottingham.ac.uk graham.newton@nottingham.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Organofunctionalized borotungstate Keggin polyoxometalates, ( n Bu4N)3H[HBW11O39(P(O)Ph)2] (PBW11), ( n Bu4N)3H[HBW11O39(As(O)Ph)2] (AsBW11), and ( n Bu4N)4[HBW11O39(PhSiOSiPh)] (SiBW11), were synthesized and structurally characterized. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the electronic properties of the clusters are dependent on the nature of the appended main group atoms (P, As, or Si). The first reduction potentials were found to shift positively with respect to that of the unmodified parent species ( n Bu4N)5[BW12O40], with PBW11 showing the largest shift at +100 mV. All clusters were evaluated as photocatalysts for the oxidative dimerization of amines where the organophosphonate hybrid PBW11 was found to be the most active. This study demonstrates how organofunctionalization of polyoxometalates may be used to tune and improve their performance as photocatalysts for organic reactions.
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