Bis- and tetrakis(organosilyl) decatungstosilicate,

The high propensity of organosilanes towards polycondensation and reaction with nucleophilic moieties has facilitated the formation of new organic-inorganic hybrids based on the lacunary divacant heteropolyanion [gamma-SiW10O36]8-. Depending on the experimental conditions two different types of derivatives were obtained with the general formula [gamma-SiW10O36(RSi)2O]4- (1) (>90% yield) and [gamma-SiW10O36(RSiO)4]4- (2) (>85% yield) (R = H (1a, 2a), vinyl (1b), -C3H6OC(O)C-(Me)=CH2 (1c, 2c), phenyl (1d, 2d)). The structures of the hybrid anions have been inferred from spectroscopic data, in particular from multinuclear (29Si and 183W) NMR solution studies and from MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Both species correspond to the grafting of an oxo-bridged siloxane unit onto the surface of the lacunary polyoxoanion.