Synthesis and photochromic property of nanosized amino acid polyoxometalate compounds

A series of novel nanosized amino acid-polyoxometalate compounds were successfully synthesized using a low temperature solid-state chemical reaction method. Their compositions, structures, morphologies, photochromic properties were characterized by ICP-AES/MS, TG/DTA, FTIR, XRD, SEM and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), respectively. The elemental analysis results showed that the compounds ((HThr)7PMo12O42•4H2O, (HTyr)7PMo12O42·5H2O, (HSer)7PMo12O42•5H2O and (HGlu)7PMo12O42•4H2O) were obtained. The analyses of the TG/DTA, XRD and FTIR confirmed that the four compounds are new phases different from the corresponding reactants and they are composed of the polyoxometalate anions and the corresponding protonated amino acids, respectively. Observation of the SEM revealed that the particle shape (e.g. (HThr)7PMo12O42·4H2O nanoplates, (HTyr)7PMo12O42•5H2O nanorods, (HSer)7PMo12O42•5H2O and (HGlu)7PMo12O42•4H2O nanoparticles) depended strongly on the structures of amino acids. This implied that the amino acids can play a structural template agent role in synthesis of the Silverton-type polyoxometalate compounds. After irradiated with ultraviolet light, these samples all exhibited photochromism. Their photochromic mechanism may be explained based on Yamase's photochromic model. These photochromic compounds could be applied to the field of photosensitive materials.