Catalytic dehydration of alcohol to olefin and ether by halide clusters of Nb, Mo, Ta and W possessing an octahedral metal core

Molecular halide clusters, [(M6Cl12)Cl-2(H2O)(4)].4H(2)O(M = Nb, Ta) and (H3O)(2)[(M6Cl8)Cl-6].6H(2)O (M = Mo, W), develop catalytic activity for the dehydration of alcohols to yield olefins and ethers when they are treated at 300degreesC The activity of the W cluster appears at 250degreesC at which temperature it changes to the poorly crystallized three-dimensional linked cluster [W6Cl8i](Cl4Cl4/2a-a)-Cl-a,and decreases at 400degreesC at which temperature the crystallinity improves.