Assembly of hybrids based on polyoxotungstates and Co-tris(imidazolyl) complexes with bifunctional electrocatalytic activities†
Jun Peng,Zheyu Zhang,Zhenyu Shi,Shifa Ullah Khan,Hongsheng Liu
RSC Advances Pub Date : 04/13/2015 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/C5RA01165E
Abstract

Three new organic–inorganic hybrid compounds based on the Keggin polyoxometalates, [Co2(tib)2(H2O)4(α-HBW12O40)]·6H2O (1), [Co2(tib)2(H2O)4(α-SiW12O40)]·4H2O (2) and [Co(H2tib)4(α-BW12O40)2]·8H2O (3) (tib = 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazoly)benzene), were hydrothermally synthesized by utilizing a pH-dependent approach in the same POM/Co/tib reaction systems. X-ray structural analyses reveal that isostructural compounds 1 and 2, obtained at pH 3.6, have a (3,4)-connected 2D net with the (42 6)(42 63 8) topology; compound 3, isolated at pH 4.8, is a “butterfly-like” structure stemming from α-BW12 polyoxoanions and Co–tib motifs. In addition, the electrocatalytic properties of compounds 1–3 were studied by cyclic voltammetry. Compounds 1–3 displayed bifunctional electrocatalytic activities toward reduction of nitrite and oxidation of ascorbic acid.

Graphical abstract: Assembly of hybrids based on polyoxotungstates and Co-tris(imidazolyl) complexes with bifunctional electrocatalytic activities