Tris‐Functionalized Hybrid Anderson Polyoxometalates: Synthesis,Characterization, Hydrolytic Stability and Inversion of Protein Surface Charge

Single‐ and double‐sided functionalized hybrid organic–inorganic Anderson polyoxomolybdates with Ga^III and Fe^III positioned as central heteroatoms have been synthesized in a mild, two‐step synthesis in an aqueous medium. Compounds 1 – 4 were isolated as hydrated salts, TBA]₃GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}]×12 H₂O ( 1 ) (TBA=tetrabutylammonium), Na₃FeMo₆O₁₈{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}₂]×11 H₂O ( 2 ), TMA]₂GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CNH₃}]×7 H₂O ( 3 ) (TMA=tetramethylammonium), and NaTMA]₂FeMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CNH₃}](OH)×6 H₂O ( 4 ). All the compounds were characterized based on single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SXRD), FTIR, UV/Vis, thermogravimetric, ESI‐MS, NMR, and elemental analyses. Compound 1 was also crystallized with two smaller organic cations, giving TMA]₃GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}]×n H₂O ( 5 ) and GDM]₃GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}]×n H₂O ( 6 ) (GDM=guanidinium) and were characterized based on UV/Vis, NMR, FTIR, and elemental analyses. The use of these compounds as additives in macromolecular crystallography was investigated by examining their hydrolytic stability by using ESI‐MS in a pH range of 4 to 9. Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) analysis showed that BSA remains intact in a solution containing up to 100 equivalents of 1 or 4 over more than four days at 20 °C. Zeta potential measurements demonstrate that 1 – 4 induce charge inversions on the positively charged surface of BSA (1 mg mL^?1) with concentrations starting as low as 1.29 mM for compounds 1 and 2 , which have the highest negative surface charge.