A novel polyoxotungstate [Ni4(H2O)2(α-NiW9O34)2]16- based on an old structure with a new component

A novel hexanuclear Ni-substituted polyoxometalate [Ni-4(H2O)(2)(alpha-NiW9O34)(2)](16-) (1) has been synthesized through a hydrothermal method. Polyoxoanion 1 exhibits a usual tetranuclear sandwich-type structure based on unprecedented [alpha-NiW9O34](12-) building units and represents the first polyoxotungstate with four-coordinate nickel centers as heteroatoms.