Strong electron-acceptor methylviologen dications confined in a 2D inorganic host: synthesis, structural characterization, charge transport and electrochemical properties of (MV)(0.25)V(2)O(5)

The reaction of methylviologen iodide with crystalline V2O5 in the molar ratio of 1 to 3.8 at 100 degrees C in water led to the formation of (MV)0.25V2O5 in quantitative yield. The structure of this organic-inorganic multilayered hybrid compound was determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Strong van der Waals interactions were found between the electron-deficient aromatic organic molecules and the inorganic layers. In the solid state, the compound is a semiconductor due to small polaron hopping and shows novel reversible alkali-ion intercalation/deintercalation via electrochemistry.