International Network on Polyoxometalate Science for Advanced Functional Energy Materials

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Metal oxides are ubiquitous in advanced technologies, but control over structure, composition and redox state can be problematic and often requires sophisticated processing. By comparison, polyoxometalates (POMs) are molecular oxides that enable nanoscale engineering of advanced metal oxide and hybrid materials from solution. This has resulted in a new era for POM chemistry and a remarkable expansion of POM-based materials research.Energy sustainability is one of the major global challenges and new materials hold the key to success. By gaining detailed knowledge of POM behaviour, the goal is to make POM-based materials that enable us to engineer electron-transfer, charge storage and chemical changes at the heart of energy conversion and storage. Consolidating activities in this field through the EPSRC-JSPS Core-to-Core Collaboration will accelerate developments towards this outcome, with potential for substantial societal and economic impact.This collaborative network, coordinated jointly by Newcastle and Hiroshima Universities and involving research groups from Germany, France and China, provides a dynamic UK-Japan axis for new research into POM-based advanced functional materials for energy applications. It includes, and will promote the emergence of, a new generation of researchers and will stimulate the interdisciplinary uptake of POM chemistry for the wider benefit of the materials community. The EPSRC-JSPS Core-to-Core scheme will place the UK at the heart of this important initiative and the momentum already generated during preparation of this expression of interest is a testament to the international enthusiasm for such a network. Collaborative projects will address fundamental electron transfer, charge separation and reactivity at interfaces in POM-based materials, providing the understanding required for better synthesis and design leading to improved material performance and new disruptive technologies.