Photochemistry, spectroscopy, and X-ray structure of an intermolecular charge-transfer complex between an organic substrate and a polyoxometallate, α-H 3 PMo 12 O 40 ·6(tetramethylurea)

A photosensitive complex between an organic substrate, 1,1,3,3-tetramethylurea (TMU), and the heteropoly acid, α-H3PMo12O40 of stoicheiometry [(TMU)2H]3PMo12O40, (1), has been characterized in solution and in the solid state; irradiation into the low energy absorption bands of (1) in solution or in the solid state results in the immediate photoreduction of the polyoxometallate by the TMU.