Formation, self-assembly and transformation of a transient selenotungstate building block into clusters, chains and macrocycles

The one-pot syntheses of a series of dimeric and trimeric selenotungstates based on the [Se2W12O46](12-) unit are presented alongside the structure of the tetrameric [Se8W48O176](32-) wheel. Mass spectrometry has probed the stability of these clusters whilst their electronic structure has been contrasted to their known phosphotungstate analogues.