Elucidation of Structure and Location of V(IV) Ions in Heteropolyacid Catalysts H4PVMo11O40 as Studied by Hyperfine Sublevel Correlation Spectroscopy and Pulsed Electron Nuclear Double Resonance at W- and X-Band Frequencies

Electron spin resonance, pulsed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy at W- and X-band frequencies, and hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy have been employed to determine the location of the V(IV) ions in H4PVMo11O40 heteropolyacid catalysts. In these materials the heteropolyanions have the well-known structure of the Keggin molecule. Interactions of the unpaired electrons of the paramagnetic vanadyl ions (VO2+) with all relevant nuclei (1H, 31P, and 51V) could be resolved. The complete analysis of the hyperfine coupling tensor for the phosphorus nucleus in the fourth coordination sphere of the V(IV) ion allowed for the first time a detailed structural analysis of the paramagnetic ions in heteropolyacids in hydrated and dehydrated catalysts. The 31P and 1H ENDOR results show that V(IV) ions are incorporated as vanadyl pentaaqua complexes [VO(H2O)5]2+ in the void space between the heteropolyanions in the hydrated heteropolyacid. For the dehydrated H4PVMo11O40 materials the distance between the V(IV) ion and the central phosphorus atom of the Keggin molecule could be determined with high accuracy on the basis of orientation-selective 31P ENDOR experiments and HYSCORE spectroscopy. The results give a first direct experimental evidence that the paramagnetic vanadium species are not incorporated at molybdenum sites into the Keggin structure of H4PVMo11O40 and also do not act as bridges between two Keggin units after calcination of the catalyst. The vanadyl species are found to be directly attached to the Keggin molecules. The VO2+ ions are coordinated to four or three outer oxygen atoms from one PVMo11 heteropolyanion in a trigonal-pyramidal or slightly distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry, respectively.