Porous supramolecular assemblies and functional properties of perhydroxylated cucurbit[6]uril and polyoxometallates

Abstract

In the present work, perhydroxylated cucurbit[6]uril {(HO)₁₂Q[6]} and Keggin-type polyoxometallates (POMs) such as H₃[PMo₁₂O₄₀] and H₃[PW₁₂O₄₀] were used as basic building blocks, and interaction of (HO)₁₂Q[6] of POMs in the acidic aqueous solutions yielded two types of supramolecular assemblies. Hybrids of (HO)₁₂Q[6] with POM anions were obtained from (HO)₁₂Q[6]-POMs-HCl (1M) systems, whereas (HO)₁₂Q[6]-based supramolecular assemblies without POMs were obtained from (HO)₁₂Q[6]-POMs-HCl (6M) systems. The structures of these two assemblies were analyzed by using single X-ray single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction methods, and the chemical and physical properties of these two assemblies were investigated by using the multi-point Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, the Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) method, UV/vis measurements and so on. The results revealed that the (HO)₁₂Q[6]-POMs system may offer a feasible route for the uptake and release of POMs, exhibit esterification and aqueous dyes degradation catalytic activities, and adsorb volatile organic compounds, yielding adsorbing materials with interesting photochemical properties.