Two multi-copper-containing heteropolyoxotungstates constructed from the lacunary Keggin polyoxoanion and the high-nuclear spin cluster.

Two novel high-nuclear copper-substituted polyoxometalates, Na16[Cu14(OH)4(H2O)16(SiW8O31)4].20.5H2O (1) and K10Na14[Cu10(H2O)2(N3)4(GeW9O34)2(GeW8O31)2].30H2O (2), containing 14 Cu2+ ions and 10 Cu2+ ions, respectively, have been obtained in aqueous solution and characterized by IR, UV, TG, element analysis, electrochemistry, and single-crystal X-ray analyses. The polyoxoanion framework of 1 is composed of four [beta-SiW8O31] units connected by 14 Cu2+ ions to constitute a tetrameric compound. In 2, two [beta-GeW8O31] anions and two [B-alpha-GeW9O34] anions are connected together by a [Cu10(N3)4O32(H2O)2] {Cu10(N3)4} cluster to construct a novel tetrameric compound. The results of the electrocatalytic experiments reveal that the reduced species of 1 and 2 have electrocatalytic activities for nitrate reduction.