A potassium selective 'nanosponge' with well defined pores

The novel spherical cluster-compound K2Na6[K(20)subset ofMo(80)-V22O282(SO4)(12)(H2O)(66)]. approximate to 14OH(2)O1 has been obtained in a 'one-pot' reaction and exhibits several remarkable structural features: 30 open shell centers, i.e. 8 Mo-V and 22 V-IV spanning an icosidodecahedron, the incorporation of 20 K+ cations capping 20 appropriate {M6O6} pores/rings present at the surface of the spherical cluster-anion, and an encapsulated aggregate of water molecules.