Fullerene-like Niobovanadate Cage Built from {(Nb)V₅} Pentagon

The striking aesthetic appeal of fullerene-like clusters has captured the interest of researchers. Nevertheless, the assembly of fullerene-like polyoxovadanadate (POV) cages remains a significant challenge due to the scarcity of suitable pentagonal motif. Herein, we have successfully synthesized the first fullerene-like all-inorganic POV cage, {(V2O)V30Nb12O102(H2O)(12)} (V30Nb12), by introducing Nb into the POVs. V30Nb12 is assembled by 12 heterometallic {(Nb)V5} pentagons through sharing V centers with Ih symmetry, reminiscent of C60. To our knowledge, the fullerene-like V30Nb12 not only represents the highest-nuclearity POV cage but also stands as the first niobovanadate cluster. Notably, V30Nb12 exhibits excellent solution stability, as confirmed by ESI-MS, FT-IR and UV/Vis spectra. As there is no protection organic ligand on its outer surface, V(30)Nb(12 )can be further modified with Cu-complexes to form a fullerene-like cluster based zigzag chain (Cu-V30Nb12).