The typical framework building blocks are
polyhedral units, with 6-coordinate metal centers. Usually, these units share edges and/or vertices. The coordination number of the oxide ligands varies according to their location in the cage. Surface oxides tend to be terminal or doubly bridging
oxo ligands. Interior oxides are typically triply bridging or even octahedral.
Metal–metal bonds in polyoxometalates are normally absent and owing to this property,
F. Albert Cotton opposed to consider polyoxometalates as a form of
cluster materials. However, metal-metal bonds are not completely absent in polyoxometalates and they are often present among the highly reduced species. Lindquist M6.jpg|Lindqvist hexamolybdate, decavanadate.jpg|
Decavanadate, sodium decavanadate.png|Line drawing of disodium decavanadate, H2W12O42.jpg|Paratungstate B, also called dihydrogen paratungstate, Mo36.jpg|Mo36-polymolybdate,
Polymolybdates and tungstates The polymolybdates and polytungstates are derived, formally at least, from the dianionic [MO4]2- precursors. The most common units for polymolybdates and polyoxotungstates are the octahedral {MO6} centers, sometimes slightly distorted. Some polymolybdates contain
pentagonal bipyramidal units. These building blocks are found in the
molybdenum blues, which are
mixed valence compounds. Corresponding ammonium polyoxotechnetate salt was recently isolated from trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and it has very similar structure. The only polyoxorhenate formed in acidic conditions in presence of pyrazolium cation. The first empirically isolated polyoxorhenate was the white . It contains Re(VII) in both octahedral and tetrahedral coordination. Mixed polyoxo(technetate-rhenate) [Tc4O4(H2O)2(ReO4)14]2- polyanion crystals that contain Tc(V) and Re(VII)were also isolated and structurally characterized.
Polyoxotantalates, niobates, and vanadates The polyniobates, polytantalates, and vanadates are derived, formally at least, from highly charged [MO4]3- precursors. For Nb and Ta, most common members are (M = Nb, Ta), which adopt the Lindqvist structure. These octaanions form in strongly basic conditions from alkali melts of the extended metal oxides (M2O5), or in the case of Nb even from mixtures of niobic acid and alkali metal hydroxides in aqueous solution. The hexatantalate can also be prepared by condensation of peroxotantalate in alkaline media. These polyoxometalates display an anomalous aqueous solubility trend of their alkali metal salts inasmuch as their Cs+ and Rb+ salts are more soluble than their Na+ and Li+ salts. The opposite trend is observed in
group 6 POMs. The decametalates with the formula (M = Nb, Ta) are isostructural with decavanadate. They are formed exclusively by edge-sharing {MO6} octahedra (the structure of decatungstate comprises edge-sharing and corner-sharing tungstate octahedra).
Heteroatoms Heteroatoms aside from the
transition metal are a defining feature of
heteropolymetalates. Many different elements can serve as heteroatoms but most common are Phosphate|, Silicate|, and Arsenate|.
Giant structures File:POM-Wheel+PD.png|thumb|Two views of a [Mo154(NO)14On]z- cluster, omitting water and counter ions. Also shown is the
X-ray powder pattern for the salt. Polyoxomolybdates include the wheel-shaped
molybdenum blue anions and spherical "keplerates". The cluster {{chem2|1=[Mo154O420(NO)14(OH)28(H2O)70]^{20-}|2=}} consists of more than 700 atoms. The anion is in the form of a tire (the cavity has a diameter of more than 20 Å) and a large inner and outer surface.
Oxoalkoxometalates Oxoalkoxometalates are clusters that contain both oxide and alkoxide ligands. the iron oxoalkoxometalates and iron and copper Keggin ions.
Sulfido, imido, and other O-replaced oxometalates The terminal oxide centers of polyoxometalate framework can in certain cases be replaced with other ligands, such as
S2−,
Br−, and
NR2−. Sulfur-substituted POMs are called
polyoxothiometalates. Other ligands replacing the oxide ions have also been demonstrated, such as
nitrosyl and
alkoxy groups. Polyfluoroxometalate are yet another class of O-replaced oxometalates.
Other Numerous hybrid organic–inorganic materials that contain POM cores. Illustrative of the diverse structures of POM is the ion , which has face-shared octahedra with Mo atoms at the vertices of an icosahedron. ==Uses==