Trapping the δ Isomer of the Polyoxometalate‐Based Keggin Cluster with a Tripodal Ligand

Abstract We report the synthesis, structural, and electronic characterization of the theoretically predicted, but experimentally elusive δ‐isomer of the Keggin polyoxometalate polyanion. A family of δ‐Keggin polyoxoanions of the general formula, (TEA)HpNaq [H2M12(XO4)O33(TEA)]⋅r H2O where p, q, r=[2,3,8] for 1 and [4,1,4] for 2 were isolated by the reaction of tungstate(VI) and vanadium(V) with triethanolammonium ions (TEAH), acting as a tripodal ligand grafted to the surface of the cluster thereby stabilizing the polyanionic δ‐Keggin archetype. The δ‐Keggin species were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, FT‐IR, UV/Vis, NMR, and ESI‐MS spectrometry. Electronic structure and structure–stability correlations were evaluated by means of DFT calculations. The compounds exhibited multi‐electron transfer and reversible photochromic properties by undergoing single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SC–SC) transformations accompanied with color changes under light.