Pushing the limits: determining the average structure in the presence of strong diffuse scattering

Functionalization of Krebs-type polyoxometalates with N,O-chelating ligands: a systematic study

The first organic derivatives of 3d-metal-disubstituted Krebs-type polyoxometalates have been synthesized under mild bench conditions via straightforward replacement of labile aqua ligands with N,O-chelating planar anions on either preformed or in situ-generated precursors. Nine hybrid clusters containing carboxylate derivatives of five- or six-membered aromatic N-heterocycles as antenna ligands have been obtained as pure crystalline phases and characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, infrared spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. They all show the general formula [{M(II)L(H2O)}2(WO2)2(B-β-XW9O33)2](n-) and can be classified as follows: 1-SbM, where L = 1H-imidazole-4-carboxylate (imc), X = Sb(III), n = 12, and M(II) = Mn, Co, Ni, Zn; 1-TeM, where L = imc, X = Te(IV), n = 10, and M(II) = Mn, Co; 2-SbNi, where L = 1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylate (pzc), X = Sb(III), n = 12, and M(II) = Ni; and 3-SbM, where L = pyrazine-2-carboxylate (pyzc), X =Sb(III), n = 12, and M(II) = Co, Zn. The 3d-metal-disubstituted tungstotellurate(IV) skeleton of compounds 1-TeM is unprecedented in polyoxometalate chemistry. The stability of these hybrid Krebs-type species in aqueous solution has been confirmed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy performed on the diamagnetic 1-SbZn and 3-SbZn derivatives. Our systematic study of the reactivity of disubtituted Krebs-type polyoxotungstates toward diazole-, pyridine-, and diazinecarboxylates demonstrates that organic derivatization is strongly dependent on the nature of the ligand, as follows: imc displays a "universal ligand" character, as functionalization takes place regardless of the external 3d metal and heteroatom; pzc and pyzc show selectivity toward specific 3d metals; pyridazine-3-carboxylate and pyrimidine-4-carboxylate promote partial decomposition of specific precursors, leading to [M(II)L2(H2O)2] complexes; and picolinate is inert under all conditions tested.