Heteroelements in polyoxometalates: a study on the influence of different group 15 elements on polyoxometalate formation

In the field of polyoxometalate (POM) chemistry, different heteroelements are integrated into the cage-like structures, to obtain different structural types of so-called heteropolyanions (HPAs). While it is generally accepted, that some elements favor certain types of structure, a systematic study is still missing. In this article, we present a systematic investigation of the influence of the group 15 elements nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, and antimony on the formation of different POM structure types. Our study is comprised of DFT calculations and corresponding experimental structural analysis. In this context, the DFT study establishes the thermodynamics of formation of different coordination geometries with various heteroelements on two POM structure types, the Keggin and the Anderson-Evans structures. Our POM synthesis experiments were performed at two different pH values (1 and 5) and resulted in a variety of heteropolytungstates, which were identified and characterized by elemental analysis as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy. With these methods, we were able to establish a clear trend, showing that heavier elements lead to formation of different structure types than lighter elements. These results signify a large step towards a better understanding of POM formation specifically with respect to the choice of heteroelement.