Novel hexagonal {V=O}6-containing sandwich-type cluster accompanied by in situ carbon-carbon bond formation of organic cations

Two novel sandwich-type polyanions containing hexagonal {V=O}(6) group (H(2)tpy)(Hbpe)(3)H[(VO)(6)(SbW(9)O(33))(2)]·2H(2)O (1) and (H(2)tcy)(6)(Hbpp)(6)H(4)[VW(12)O(40)][(VO)(6)(SbW(9)O(33))(2)](3)·30H(2)O (2) (tpy = 4-(2,3,4-tri(pyridin-4-yl)butyl)pyridine, bpe = 1,2-(4-pyridyl)ethene, tcy = 1,2,4,5-tetra(pyridin-4-yl)cyclohexanol, bpp = 1,3-bis-(4-pyridyl)propane), were reported. Both compounds are built upon the complex hydrogen bonding networks of C-H···O and N-H···O occurred among inorganic anions and organic cations. Unusual in situ organic reactions involving C-C coupling are also observed in 1 and 2 regardless of the rigid bpe or flexible bpp. Compound 2 represents a rare case in which nano-sized α-Keggin [VW(12)O(40)](4-) and sandwich-type [(VO)(6)(SbW(9)O(33))(2)](6-) anionic clusters are present in a common crystal framework.