Multielectron reduction of alpha-[S2Mo18O62](4-) in aprotic and protic media: Voltammetric studies

Detailed voltammetric studies are reported of the reduction of alpha-[S2Mo18O62](4-) at glassy carbon and platinum macro- and microdisk electrodes (stationary and rotated) in acetonitrile and in 95/5 acetonitrile/water mixtures containing 0.02 M perchloric acid. Experiments at -30 degrees C and at short time scales in acetonitrile detect eight one-electron processes in the potential range 0.1 to -2.7 V versus Fc(+)/Fc (Fc = ferrocene). The eight processes fall into four pairs, The differences in potential within each pair are remarkably constant (0.26 +/- 0.02 V), as are the separations between adjacent pairs (0.60 +/- 0.06 V). This periodicity is consistent with spin-paired [(MoO)-O-V](2)-(mu-O) fragments providing a significant contribution to the overall superexchange stabilization. The influence of the following chemical reactions (primarily protonation by trace water) increases with the number of electrons added, although the five-electron reduced species [S2Mo18O62](9-) has a significant lifetime on the voltammetric time scale. In the presence of aqueous acid and at short time scales, eight chemically reversible processes are observed in the range 0 to -1.5 V in which two, two, two, two, four, four, two, and eight electrons, respectively, are transferred. The four pairs of one-electron processes found in acetonitrile occur as the first four overall two-electron reduction seeps, separated by about 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 V, respectively. Addition of a further 10 electrons occurs in a range of 0.3 V only and results in an 18-electron reduced species, stable on the voltammetric time scale. This corresponds to formal reduction of all Mo(VI) centers in alpha-[S2Mo18O62](4-) to Mo(V). The species is able to accept a further eight electrons in a series of unresolved processes.