Intercalating a potassium-aqua complex cation into an α-MoO 3 layer without reducing molybdenum: a potential storage system.

We have demonstrated a green aqueous synthesis of rod-shaped MoO 3 material, [Mo VI 3 O 9 {K(H 2 O) 4 }(CH 3 COO)]·H 2 O (2) intercalating potassium-aqua-complex acetate into its lamellar space, simply by ion-exchange of Co(II)-aqua-complex in compound [Mo VI 4 O 12 (CH 3 COO) 2 {Co II (H 2 O) 6 }]·2H 2 O (1) by {K(H 2 O) 4 } + in an aqueous solution of 1 and KCl. Compound 2 acts as a potential storage system of alkali metal ions.