Polyoxometalate Clusters for Catalysis, Energy Storage, and Molecular Sensing
This community designs and synthesizes polyoxometalate (POM) clusters—molecular structures built from metal-oxide frameworks—to function as catalysts for chemical oxidation, components for electrochemical energy storage, and sensors for detecting specific ions or molecules.
The research focuses heavily on the synthesis and crystal structure of Keggin-type and lacunary polyoxometalates, frequently incorporating vanadium, molybdenum, and tungsten. A significant portion of the work involves creating hybrid materials, such as polyoxometalate-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and graphene oxide composites, to enhance catalytic activity. Key applications include selective oxidation of organic compounds, hydrogen evolution, and proton conductivity for energy devices. The community also investigates the electron transfer properties of these clusters, often referred to as "molybdenum blue" or "heteropoly blue" states, to develop materials for electrochemical sensing and photocatalysis.
The largest share of the community's output is found in hydrogen research, accounting for 0.2% of all hydrogen research, with 1,282 papers in this group. Vanadium research follows with a 0.9% share and 922 papers, while molybdenum research contributes 826 papers, representing 0.7% of that element's total research.
The community comprises 6,776 papers, publishing most frequently in Inorganic Chemistry, Dalton Transactions, and Journal of Solid State Chemistry.
Recent work continues to explore the structural assembly of giant polyoxometalate cages and their application in photocatalytic hydrogen production and selective oxidation. New studies also examine the speciation of polyoxometalates in aqueous solutions and the development of conductive hydrogels for flexible sensing materials.