How Does the Redox State of Polyoxovanadates Influence the Collective Behavior in Solution? A Case Study with [I@VO] ( q = 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13).

A series of stable reduction-oxidation states of the cagelike [I@V VO] polyoxovanadate (POV) with x = 8, 10, 12, 16, and 18 were studied with density functional theory and molecular dynamics to gain insight into the structural and electron distribution characteristics of these metal-oxo clusters and to analyze the charge/redox-dependent assemblage processes in water and acetonitrile (MeCN) solutions. The calculations show that the interplay between the POV redox state (molecular charge) and the solvent polarity, countercation size, and hydrophilicity (or hydrophobicity) controls the POV agglomeration phenomena, which substantially differ between aqueous and MeCN media. In MeCN, agglomeration is more pronounced for intermediate-charged POVs, whereas in water, the lowest-charged POVs and organic countercations tend to agglomerate into a microphase. Tests made on wet MeCN show diminished agglomeration with respect to pure MeCN. Simulations with alkali countercations in water show that only the highest-charged POV can form agglomerates. The herein presented theoretical investigation aims to support experimental studies of POVs in the field of functional nanomaterials and surfaces, where controlled molecular deposition from the liquid phase onto solid substrates requires knowledge about the features of these metal-oxo clusters in discrete solutions.