Evidence for rapid ligand redistribution in non-aqueous tungstate chemistry: rational synthesis of the binuclear tungsten oxoalkoxide [W2O5(OMe)4]2–

Abstract

In the solid state, the tungstate [NMe₃(CH₂Ph)]₂[WO₄]·H₂O contains chains of alternating [WO₄]^2– anions and water molecules linked by WO ⋯ H-O-H hydrogen bonding; in organic solvents, oxo-alkoxo ligand exchange occurs readily between Q₂WO₄(Q⁺= NBuⁿ₄⁺ or [NMe₃(CH₂Ph)]⁺) and [{WO(OMe₄)}₂] to produce the new binuclear oxoalkoxo-tungstate [W₂O₅(OMe)₄]^2–, which is a precursor for non-aqueous polyoxo-tungstate synthesis.