Starlike nanostructures of polyoxometalates K3[PMo12O40].nH2O synthesized and assembled by an inverse microemulsion method.
In a nonionic inverse microemulsion system, surfactant (C12-18EO9)/cyclohexane/water, heteropolyanions [PMo12O40]3- react with K+ to form K3[PMo12O40].nH2O nanorods and assemble as three-dimensional starlike nanostructures.