Volume 60, Issue 16 pp. 8755-8759
Communication

Formation of Nanoscale [Ge4O16Al48(OH)108(H2O)24]20+ from Condensation of ϵ-GeAl128+ Keggin Polycations**

Mohammad Shohel

Mohammad Shohel

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA

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Jennifer L. Bjorklund

Jennifer L. Bjorklund

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA

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Jack A. Smith

Jack A. Smith

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA

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Dmytro V. Kravchuk

Dmytro V. Kravchuk

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA

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Dr. Sara E. Mason

Dr. Sara E. Mason

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA

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Dr. Tori Z. Forbes

Corresponding Author

Dr. Tori Z. Forbes

Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA

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First published: 22 January 2021
Citations: 10
**

A previous version of this manuscript has been deposited on a preprint server (https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.12910130.v1).

Graphical Abstract

Self-condensation of ϵ-GeAl128+ upon thermal aging is proposed as the mechanism for the formation of tetrameric [Ge4O16Al48(OH)108(H2O)24]20+ (Ge4Al4820+).

Abstract

Keggin-type polyaluminum cations belong to a unique class of compounds with their large positive charge, hydroxo bridges, and divergent isomerization/oligomerization. Previous reports indicated that oligomerization of this species can only occur through one isomer (δ), but herein we report the isolation of largest Keggin-type cluster that occurs through self-condensation of four ϵ-isomers ϵ-GeAl128+ to form [Ge4O16Al48(OH)108(H2O)24]20+ cluster (Ge4Al48). The cluster was crystallized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) and the elemental composition was confirmed by ICP-MS and SEM-EDS. Additional dynamic light scattering experiments confirms the presence of the Ge4Al48 in thermally aged solutions. DFT calculations reveal that a single atom Ge substitution in tetrahedral site of ϵ-isomer is the key for the formation of Ge4Al48 because it activates deprotonation at key surface sites that control the self-condensation process.

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