Thermochromic and Thermally Switchable POM Clusters

In our attempts to design functional clusters we have focused on substitution of the heteroanions within the Wells-Dawson structure to create nonconventional Dawson clusters incorporating two pyramidal anions. Our design rationale was based on the idea that such clusters may exhibit unprecedented properties arising from the intramolecular electronic interactions between the encapsulated anions (in this case we aimed to engineer between S S atoms of two encapsulated sulfite ions), thus providing a novel route to manipulate the physical properties of 

In this cluster system the enclosure of sulfite anions with a correct orientation transforms the anions from innocent structural templates to electronically reactive, functional units. These can now release electrons to the cluster shell upon activation by heat-the sulfite groups in type 2 clusters are activated whereas those in type 1 are not. 

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