Synthesis and Structure of a Novel Type of Polyoxomolybdate Lanthanide Complex: [(Ln(H2O)6)2(TeMo6O24)] (Ln = Ho, Yb)

The new polyoxomolybdates [(Ho(H2O)6)2(TeMo6O24)] · 10 H2O (1) and [(Yb(H2O)6)2(TeMo6O24)] · 10 H2O (2) were prepared from aqueous solution by reaction of telluric acid, potassium molybdate and holmium chloride and ytterbium chloride, respectively. They were characterized by X‐ray structure analysis, energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence analysis and IR spectroscopy. Both compounds contain the Anderson type anion (TeMo6O24)6− and trivalent lanthanide atoms which achieve eightfold coordination by two terminal oxygen atoms of the (TeMo6O24)6− anion and six crystal water molecules. While all known Ln/(TeMo6O24)6− compounds contain infinite one‐dimensional chains in which the (TeMo6O24)6− anions are linked by rare earth cations, the neutral molecular [(Ln(H2O)6)2(TeMo6O24)] complexes in 1 and 2 are only connected via hydrogen bonds.