title: Ultrathin inorganic molecular nanowire based on polyoxometalates.
abstract: The development of metal oxide-based molecular wires is important for fundamental research and potential practical applications. However, examples of these materials are rare. Here we report an all-inorganic transition metal oxide molecular wire prepared by disassembly of larger crystals. The wires are comprised of molybdenum(VI) with either tellurium(IV) or selenium(IV): {(NH4)2[XMo6O21]}n (X=tellurium(IV) or selenium(IV)). The ultrathin molecular nanowires with widths of 1.2 nm grow to micrometre-scale crystals and are characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis, Rietveld analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, thermal analysis and elemental analysis. The crystals can be disassembled into individual molecular wires through cation exchange and subsequent ultrasound treatment, as visualized by atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The ultrathin molecular wire-based material exhibits high activity as an acid catalyst, and the band gap of the molecular wire-based crystal is tunable by heat treatment.
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, N-21, W-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Zhenxin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, N-21, W-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan.|JST, PRESTO, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadakane
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, N-21, W-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariga
authors.affiliation: Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute/SPring-8, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayocho, Sayogun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.affiliation: High Voltage Electron Microscope Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research of Energy and Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8626, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, N-21, W-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, N-21, W-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.|Department of Material and Life Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University, Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 221-8686, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ueda