New Synthetic Approach Compresses Molybdenum Blue Rings While Retaining Structure
Researchers from the Cronin Group have developed new synthetic strategies to compress molybdenum blue (MB) cluster rings while maintaining their characteristic ring shape and electronic structure. In a recent JACS publication (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c00187), the team reports a family of new MB clusters—{Mo54}, {Mo58}, {Mo85}, and {Mo108}—showing that the archetypal MB ring can be reduced by up to 100 molybdenum atoms, from {Mo154} to {Mo54}, without disrupting the overall architecture.
This was achieved by introducing new building blocks, including distorted pentagonal units and a previously unobserved {Mo5} bridging motif, which help stabilize the compressed structures. These findings offer a new route for controlling the size and shape of MB clusters, whilst retaining their electronic structure and redox behaviour, and may support future efforts to design nanoscale inorganic frameworks with tailored properties.