A molecule based on polyoxometalate acid and crown ether: synthesis and characterization of [(H3O)(C20H24O6)]2[HPMo12O40]·C20H24O6·3MeCN·H2O (C20H24O6=dibenzo-18-crown-6)

The new molecule based on 12-molybdophosphate acid and dibenzo-18-crown-6, (H₃O)(C₂₀H₂₄O₆)]₂HPMo₁₂O₄₀]·C₂₀H₂₄O₆·3MeCN·H₂O 1, was synthesized in acetonitrile and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, ¹H NMR, electrospray mass spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction, indicating that it contains (H₃O)(dibenzo-18-crown-6)]⁺ cations, where oxonium ions are out of the planes defined by crown ether oxygen atoms, and disordered PMo₁₂O₄₀³⁻ anions with α-Keggin structure where the crystal has high lattice energy so that it is difficult to dissolve it. The crystallographic disorder averages Mo-Mo distances and Mo-O_b/c-Mo angles between the M₃ triplets and within the M₃ triplet. The interactions between crown ether molecules and oxonium ions are hydrogen-bonding with the O(crown ether)-OH₃⁺ distances of 2.510(10)-2.783(7) Å. The interactions between (H₃O)(dibenzo-18-crown-6)]⁺ cations and PMo₁₂O₄₀³⁻ anions are dominantly electrostatic. The electrical conductivity is <10⁻⁷ S.cm⁻¹.