Mo IV3-Polyoxomolybdates with frustrated Lewis pairs for high-performance hydrogenation catalysis

Abstract

Bifunctional catalysis of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) is one of the most active frontier areas in catalytic hydrogenation. The first Mo^IV-γ-Keggin-like cluster H₂[(py₃MO^IV₃)₂MO^VI₇O₃₂(OH)₄] (γ-1, py = pyridine), which contains unprecedented Mo^IV–O–Mo^VIO FLPs (POM-FLPs), was prepared in a high yield. The synergistic effect of the POM-FLPs accounts for the high efficiency in catalytic hydrogenation as exemplified by the excellent performance (yield > 99%) of γ-1 as the heterogeneous catalyst in the hydrogenation reduction of nitroarenes to anilines with hydrazine hydrate under mild conditions, revealing the promising potential of such unique MO^IV₃–POMo^VI FLP systems in catalytic hydrogenation.