Bridging the Gap Between Solution & Solid State, Low & High Nuclearity Studies in the Self Assembly of Nanoscale Polyoxometalate Clusters

目的：提出了一种方法来理解的自组装纳米聚氧乙烯簇使用冷冻喷雾质谱，配体设计和晶体学分析的组合，弥合溶液和固态研究之间的差距的第一次。通过使用冷冻喷雾质谱仪来“扫描”我们的反应系统，我们将能够“发现”溶液中的新簇，从低到高核簇，了解复杂的平衡，“陷阱”和稳定高反应性簇，并从根本上组装新类型的簇。最终的目标是建立和控制一个真实的构建块库，该构建块库可用于组装预先设计的纳米级聚氧乙烯酸盐簇。这将使我们能够从发现转移到宏伟的目标，即像有机分子的合成一样可靠地预先确定簇的形成。这一目标的实现将为聚氧乙烯酸盐开辟大量的科学、工业和技术应用，从新材料到催化剂和纳米电子元件。

Aim: To propose an approach to understanding the self assembly of nanoscale polyoxometalate clusters using a combination of cryospray mass spectrometry, ligand design, and crystallographic analysis, bridging the gap between solution and solid state studies for the first time. By using the cryospray mass spectrometry to 'scan' our reaction systems we will be able to 'discover' new clusters in solution that range from low to high nuclearity clusters, understand the complex equilibria present, 'trap' and stabilize highly reactive clusters, and assemble fundamentally new types of cluster. Ultimately the aim is to establish and control a library of real building blocks that can be used in the assembly of pre-designed nanoscale polyoxometalate clusters. This will allow us to move from discovery with the grand aim of pre-determining cluster formation as reliably as the synthesis of organic molecules. The realisation of this goal would open up a plethora of scientific, industrial and technological applications of polyoxometalates from new materials to catalysts and nano-electronic components.