Three Zr(IV)-Substituted Polyoxotungstate Aggregates: Structural Transformation from Tungstoantimonate to Tungstophosphate Induced by pH

Three novel Zr-substituted polyoxotungstate aggregates [H2N(CH3)2]7NaH2[Zr2Sb2O3(A-α-PW9O34)2]·16H2O (1), [H2N(CH3)2]6H12[ZrSb4(OH)O2(A-α-PW8O32)(A-α-PW9O34)]2·33H2O (2), and [H2N(CH3)2]4Na11.5H4.5[Zr4W8Sb4P5O49(OH)5(B-α-SbW9O33)2]·53H2O (3) have been made in hydrothermal reactions of the [B-α-SbW9O33]9– precursor with Zr4+ cations and PO43– anions in the presence of dimethylamine hydrochloride and sodium acetate buffer (pH = 4.8) and structurally characterized. Different pH values induce structural transformation from tungstoantimonate (TA) to tungstophosphate (TP). 1 is a di-Zr-substituted sandwich-type TP, the tetranuclear heterometallic [Zr2Sb2O3]8+ entity sandwiched by two [A-α-PW9O34]9– moieties. 2 is a double sandwich-type structure, which can be perceived as two equivalent sandwiched [Sb3(PW8O32)(PW9O34)]11– further sandwiching one [Sb2Zr2(OH)2O4]4+ core to form a novel large-size sandwich-type architecture. Different from 1 and 2, 3 is a tetra-Zr-substituted sandwiched configuration, in which two [B-α-SbW9O33]9– fragments sandwich a unique 21-core Sb–P–W–Zr oxo cluster ({Zr4W8Sb4P5}). Furthermore, the catalytic oxidation of aromatic thioethers by 3 as the heterogeneous catalyst has been investigated, showing high conversion and remarkable selectivity as well as excellent recyclability.