Synthesis of Novel Polymers with Biodegradability by Main-Chain Editing of Chiral Polyketones.

Although the use of biodegradable plastics is suitable for unrecoverable, single-use plastic, their high production cost and much lower variety compared to commodity plastics limit their application. In this study, we developed a new polymer with potential biodegradability, poly(ketone/ester), synthesized from propylene and carbon monoxide. Propylene and carbon monoxide are easily available at low costs from fossil resources, and they can also be derived from biomass. Using an atom insertion reaction to the main chain of the polymer, the main-chain editing of the polymer molecule proceeded with up to 89% selectivity for atom insertion over main-chain cleavage.

Multi-stimuli-responsive polymer degradation by polyoxometalate photocatalysis and chloride ions.

Photocatalytic polymer degradation based on harnessing the abundant light energy present in the environment is one of the promising approaches to address the issue of plastic waste. In this study, we developed a multi-stimuli-responsive photocatalytic polymer degradation system facilitated by the photocatalysis of a polyoxometalate [γ-PV2W10O40]5- in conjunction with chloride ions (Cl-) as harmless and abundant stimuli. The degradation of various polymers was significantly accelerated in the presence of Cl-, which was attributed to the oxidation of Cl- by the polyoxometalate photocatalysis into a highly reactive chlorine radical that can efficiently generate a carbon-centered radical for subsequent polymer degradation. Although organic and organometallic photocatalysts decomposed under the conditions for photocatalytic polymer degradation in the presence of Cl-, [γ-PV2W10O40]5- retained its structure even under these highly oxidative conditions.

Porphyrin-Polyoxotungstate Molecular Hybrid as a Highly Efficient, Durable, Visible-Light-Responsive Photocatalyst for Aerobic Oxidation Reactions.

Organic-polyoxometalate (POM) hybrids have recently attracted considerable interest because of their distinctive properties and wide-ranging applications. For the construction of organic-POM hybrids, porphyrins are promising building units owing to their optical properties and reactivity, including strong visible-light absorption and subsequent singlet-oxygen (1O2*) generation. However, the practical utilization of porphyrins as photocatalysts and photosensitizers is often hindered by their own degradation by 1O2*. Therefore, there is a substantial demand for the development of porphyrin-derived photocatalysts with both high efficiency and durability. Herein, we present a porphyrin-polyoxotungstate molecular hybrid featuring a face-to-face stacked porphyrin dimer (I) fastened by four lacunary polyoxotungstates. Hybrid I exhibited remarkable efficiency and durability in photocatalytic aerobic oxidation reactions, and the selective oxidation of various dienes, alkenes, sulfides, and amines proceeded using just 0.003 mol % of the catalyst. Mechanistic investigations suggested that the high activity of I stems from the efficient generation of 1O2*, resulting from the heavy-atom effect of POMs. Furthermore, despite its high efficiency in 1O2* generation compared to free porphyrins, I exhibited superior durability against 1O2*-induced degradation under photoirradiation.

Molecular hybrids of trivacant lacunary polyoxomolybdate and multidentate organic ligands.

Functional molecular inorganic-organic hybrids of lacunary polyoxometalates and organic ligands attract much attention for advanced material applications. However, the inherent instability of lacunary polyoxomolybdates hinders the synthesis of hybrids and their utilization. Herein, we present a viable approach for the synthesis of molecular hybrids of trivacant lacunary Keggin-type polyoxomolybdates and multidentate organic ligands including carboxylates and phosphonates, which is based on the use of a lacunary structure stabilized by removable pyridyl ligands as a starting material.

Highly efficient degradation of polyesters and polyethers by decatungstate photocatalysis.

Photocatalytic polymer degradation has been recognized as a promising solution to the global disposal of waste plastics. In this work, we revealed that various polyesters and polyethers were efficiently degraded in the presence of a polyoxometalate photocatalyst, specifically, decatungstate ([W10O32]4-, W10). A catalytic amount of W10 initiated the degradation of various polyesters and polyethers under photo-irradiation with a xenon lamp (λ > 350 nm) using O2 (1 atm) as the oxidant in acetonitrile or water. Moreover, this system can promote polymer degradation even under sunlight. The degradation efficiency, assessed from the degradation rate (Mw0 - Mw)/Mw0 (%) (where Mw0 is the Mw before the reaction), of W10 was notably higher than those of previously reported photocatalysts such as titanium oxide, other polyoxometalates, organometallic compounds, and organic dyes.

Synthesis of a phosphomolybdate with a tetranuclear vanadium core by installing vanadium atoms in a lacunary template using the protecting group strategy.

Vanadium-containing phosphomolybdates have outstanding catalytic and electrochemical properties. However, their traditional one-pot synthesis in aqueous media generates a mixture of randomly distributed isomers and undesirable impurities, which has hampered the in-depth study of the catalysis and reaction mechanism of these compounds. Here, the selective synthesis of a tetranuclear vanadium-containing phosphomolybdate, [PV3Mo9O40(VO)]3-, was achieved for the first time by using a pyridine-protected [A-α-PMo9O31(py)3]3- (py = pyridine) as the template.

A protecting group strategy to access stable lacunary polyoxomolybdates for introducing multinuclear metal clusters.

Although metal-containing polyoxomolybdates (molybdenum oxide clusters) exhibit outstanding catalytic properties, their precise synthetic method has not yet been developed. This is mainly because the very low stability of the multivacant lacunary polyoxomolybdates limited their use as synthetic precursors. Here, we present a "protecting group strategy" in polyoxometalate synthesis and successfully develop an efficient method for synthesising multinuclear metal-containing polyoxomolybdates using pyridine as a protecting group for unstable trivacant lacunary Keggin-type polyoxomolybdate [PMo9O34]9-. Specifically, tetranuclear cubane- and planar-type manganese clusters were selectively synthesised in the polyoxomolybdates using the present method. The importance of this work is that, in addition to being the first practical way of utilizing multivacant lacunary polyoxomolybdates as precursors, this new "protecting group strategy" will make it possible to produce polyoxometalates with unexplored structures and properties.

Ligand-Directed Approach in Polyoxometalate Synthesis: Formation of a New Divacant Lacunary Polyoxomolybdate [γ-PMo10 O36 ]7.

Polyoxometalates (POMs) have received increasing attention over the last decades for extending their application and properties that originate from novel structures. For the synthesis of a variety of POM structures, multivacant lacunary POMs are key precursors, which are typically synthesized by empirically controlling the complex equilibrium in aqueous solvents. Unfortunately, despite the excellent catalytic and electrochemical properties of "polyoxomolybdates", only one multivacant lacunary species, i.e., [A-α-PMo9 O34 ]9- , has been identified and isolated because multivacant lacunary polyoxomolybdates are typically unstable. Here we report a ligand-directed approach for the selective formation of an unprecedented lacunary polyoxomolybdate in organic solvents. By structure transformation of a pyridine-coordinated [A-α-PMo9 O34 ]9- , a new γ-Keggin-type divacant lacunary polyoxomolybdate [γ-PMo10 O36 ]7- was obtained, which can be further used as a precursor for synthesizing a POM-organic hybrid.

Self-Assembly of Anionic Polyoxometalate-Organic Architectures Based on Lacunary Phosphomolybdates and Pyridyl Ligands.

The development of novel systems for metal-organic architectures is an attractive research field because they are fascinating materials with unexplored functions. Lacunary polyoxometalates (POMs) offer structurally well-defined coordination sites with various coordination directions and numbers in addition to the designable properties; thus, lacunary POMs are ideal building blocks for inorganic-organic architectures. However, their utilization is currently limited by their low stability and difficulty in controlling the reactivity. Here, we report the successful self-assembly of anionic POM-organic architectures comprising multivacant lacunary POMs and pyridyl ligands. By introducing pyridine moieties to its vacant sites, the trivacant lacunary phosphomolybdate [A-α-PMo9O34]9- is significantly stabilized in organic solvents. Furthermore, the resultant structure can be utilized as a stable and reactive building block to synthesize a dimer pillared by 4,4'-bipyridyl and a tetramer bridged by two cofacial porphyrin ligands, which can intercalate aromatic molecules.

Polyoxometalate LUMO engineering: a strategy for visible-light-responsive aerobic oxygenation photocatalysts.

We report the efficient visible-light-responsive photocatalysis of polyoxometalates (POMs) by engineering the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs). By the introduction of vanadium atoms into the γ-Keggin-type phosphotungstate, a new V3d/W5d mixed LUMO appeared to afford a visible-light-responsive catalyst (I), which showed high photocatalytic activity for aerobic oxygenation of sulfides to sulfoxides.