Controllable Layered Structures in Polyoxomolybdate-Surfactant Hybrid Crystals

Inorganic-organic hybrid crystals containing alpha-octamolybdate (Mo(8)) or hexamolybdate (Mo(6)) were isolated by using hexadecyltrimethylammonium (C(16)) surfactant. The packing mode of the inorganic layers depended on a difference in the polyoxomolybdate molecular structure. The structure for both crystals consisted of alternate stacking of C(16) organic bilayers and polyoxomolybdate inorganic layers with a periodicity of 24.4-24.6 angstrom. However, the C(16)-Mo(8) crystals contained Mo(8) monolayers, while the C(16)-Mo(6) crystals contained Mo(6) bilayers. These lattice structures for the polyoxometalate/organic hybrid will be designed by the molecular structures of polyoxometalate.