A nanoring-nanosphere molecule, {Mo214V30}:: Pushing the boundaries of controllable inorganic structural organization at the molecular level

A controlled, Raman-monitored chemical reduction of a molybdate and vanadate mixture affords a new type of molybdenum-oxide-based cluster showing an unprecedented level of inorganic structural organization. The cluster incorporates two nanosized substructures (a ring and a sphere) in an open clam-like assembly. Multiple methods indicate that the nanoring contains delocalized electrons and the nanosphere contains localized but interacting electrons. Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society.