MoIV3•••[O8Mo4]3 Lewis acid-base cluster pairs: Highly efficient and stable Lewis catalysis fields frustrated in crystalline nanoclusters

By using metal compounds or oxide/organic acid and enhanced reaction temperature in controlled solvothermal oxidation of [Mo3O2(MeCO2)6(H2O)3)]2+, more interstitial metal atoms were introduced to produce the largest nanoscale MoIV-polyoxomolybdates, [M2@(MoIV3py3)4Mo18Ox]q- (M = Al, V, Mo). Each [H4V2@(MoIV3py3)4Mo18O84]12- (2a) nanocluster is surrounded by 12 [V3Mo12O42] to build Lewis catalysis field (LCF) composed of MoIV3•••[O8Mo4]3 Lewis acid-base cluster pairs in the crystalline 2, accountinf for the excellent and stable catalysis performance in hydrazine reduction of nitroarenes to arylamines in varied solvents. The peoposed new concept LCF provides a new way of thinking for the designed synthesis and real applications of highly efficient FLP catalysts.