Fate of a giant {Mo72Fe30}-type polyoxometalate cluster in an aqueous solution at higher temperature: understanding related Keplerate chemistry, from molecule to material.

When the giant icosahedral {Mo72Fe30} cluster containing compound [Mo72Fe30O252(CH3COO)12{Mo2O7(H2O)}2{H2Mo2O8(H2O)}(H2O)91]·150H2O (1) is refluxed in water for 36 h, it results in the formation of nanoiron molybdate, Fe2(MoO4)3, in the form of a yellow precipitate; this simple approach not only generates nanoferric molybdate at a moderate temperature but also helps to understand the stability of {Mo72Fe30} in terms of the linker-pentagon complementary relationship.