ATTACHMENT OF ORGANIC GROUPS TO HETEROPOLY OXOMETALATE ANIONS

The large polyoxoanions of vanadium, molybdenum, and tungsten1 have for many years attracted attention as catalysts, electron microscope “stains”, analytical reagents, etc. Recently we have sought to develop the chemistry of possible organic derivatives of such polyanions2 with a view to their potential use as selective labeling and imaging agents for biological systems. We report here a direct derivativization of heteropoly anions under mild aqueous conditions that leads to the first examples of organoheteropoly complexes that are stable at biological pH and are reducible to intensely colored heteropoly blues. Independent work by Knoth has lead to similar complexes.3. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.