{Mo₄}-directed structural evolution of highly reduced molybdenum red clusters for efficient proton conduction

A series of highly reduced Mo red clusters {Mo-28} (1), {Mo-30} (2), and {Mo-40} (3) are synthesized from the rational assembly of planar {Mo-4(V)} building blocks and employed for proton conduction. 3 exhibits the best conductivity of 7.56 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) under optimal conditions due to the most efficient hydrogen-bonding network.