Assembly of a Hexameric Cluster of Polyoxomolybdotriphosphonate Builts from [Zn(H2O){TeMo6O21}{N(CH2PO3)3}]6- Subunits and Its Optical and Catalytic Properties.

The crown-shaped organotriphosphonate-modified 36-molybdenum cluster (NH4)18Na7H11[Zn(H2O)TeMo6O21{N(CH2PO3)3}]6·23H2O (1) has been synthesized, which is the largest zinc-containing organophosphonate-based polyoxometalate to date. Compound 1 was prepared in buffer solution (pH 5.5) with heptamolybdate and amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) as the organic ligand. The polyanion constructed from a hexmeric assembly of [Zn(H2O){TeMo6O21}{N(CH2PO3)3}]6- subunits has been fully investigated by a few characterization methods. In this work, we discovered that 1 exhibited reversible photochromism and it changed from white to reddish brown upon UV irradiation. In addition, compound 1, as a catalyst, can oxidize sulfides to sulfoxides, showing a high yield/conversion and a good selectivity.