Recent Advances in Tailored Polyoxometalates for Catalytic Applications

Since the first reported example of polyoxometalates (POMs) by Berzelius in 1826, this class of compounds with fascinating physicochemical properties attracted extensive attention as catalysts due to rich redox chemistry, tuneable compositions (size, charge density, acid strength, etc.), high thermal stability in the solid state, and solubility in polar/nonpolar solvents. Their properties can be tuned at the molecular level, by creating lacuna in the structure, introducing heteroatoms in their structure, countercations, second structures, functionalization with organic ligands etc. Additionally, they can be utilized as heterogeneous catalysts in different ways for catalytic applications in the literature. Further, subclasses of POMs can serve as the “coordination islands” to isolate substituted metal and subsequently to form well-defined clusters or single-atom catalysts. These features made the chemistry of POMs a promising research area that keeps expanding to a wide range of catalytic applications such as oxidation, reduction, multi-component, esterification and transesterification, C-C coupling, isomerization reactions, etc.

POMs chemistry has expanded considerably in the last two decades, especially in the field of catalysis. The swift and expanding research to develop efficient catalysts by various strategies for tailoring and functionalization of POMs are worthwhile in the literature. For instance, advances in a new class of POMs i.e. polyoxopalladates, and recently discovered POM-derived/stabilized single-atom for efficient catalytic processes showed the scope and growing admiration of the field. The aim of this Research Topic is to provide an overview of the current state of research as well as updates on POMs-based catalysis. This collection aims to showcase and share the recent advances in developing POMs-based materials as catalysts in a rapid manner. Further, we would like to draw attention to the many areas of POMs research and catalytic applications currently undertaken, such as biomass conversion, Redox reactions, one-pot organic transformations, and energy conversion.

This Research Topic will focus on the most recent advances in polyoxometalate chemistry with the aspects of catalysis. The advances in POM-designing for efficient catalysis will emphasize on tailoring of POMs to form lacunary polyoxometalates, transition metal substituted POMs, functionalized-POMs, MOFs-POMs, POMs-composites, and POMs-hybrids. We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on the advanced POM materials with applications in thermo-, photo-, and electrocatalysis including, but not limited to:

• Bifunctional catalysis
• Oxidation reactions
• Hydrogenation/Reduction reactions
• Biomass and renewable valorization
• Multi-component reactions
• Mechanistic insights and structure-activity relationships
• Water oxidation and splitting
• Environmental and Energy applications

Keywords: Polyoxometalates, Biomass conversion, Redox and acid-base, Catalysis, Material designing, Organic transformations

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.