Chiral polyoxotungstates. 1. Stereoselective interaction of amino acids with enantiomers of [Ce(III)(alpha1-P2W17O61)(H2O)x]7-. The structure of DL-[Ce2(H2O)8(P2W17O61)2]14-.

The ammonium salt of the 1:1complex (1) of Ce(III) with alpha(1)-[P(2)W(17)O(61)](10)(-) was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, vibrational and NMR spectroscopy ((31)P, (183)W), cyclic voltammetry, and single-crystal X-ray analysis (P1; a = 15.8523(9) A, b = 17.4382(10) A, c = 29.3322(16) A, alpha = 99.617(1) degrees, beta = 105.450 (1) degrees, gamma = 101.132(1) degrees, V = 7460.9(7) A(3), Z = 2). The anion consists of a centrosymmetric head-to-head dimer, [[Ce(H(2)O)(4)(P(2)W(17)O(61))](2)],(14-) with each 9-coordinate Ce cation linked to four oxygens of one tungstophosphate anion and to one oxygen of the other anion. On the basis of P NMR spectroscopy, a monomer-dimer equilibrium exists in solution with K = 20 +/- 4 M(-1) at 22 degrees C. Addition of chiral amino acids to aqueous solutions of 1 results in splitting of the (31)P NMR signals as a result of diastereomer formation. No such splitting is observed with glycine or DL-proline, or when chiral amino acids are added to the corresponding complex of the achiral alpha(2)-isomer of [P(2)W(17)O(61)](10)(-). From analysis of the (31)P NMR spectra, formation constants of the two diastereomeric adducts of 1 with L-proline are 7.3 +/- 1.3 and 9.8 +/- 1.4 M(-1).