Photophysical Characterization and Recognition Behaviour of a Bis(dansylated) Polyoxometalate

The bis(dansylated) polyoxometalate (nBu4N)4[γ-SiW10O36{(Me2N)C10H6SO2NH(CH2)3Si}2O] has been investigated to establish the impact of the inorganic polyanionic domain on the photophysical behaviour of the appended dansyl chromophore. The interactions of this molecular hybrid with Lewis acids (lanthanide cations) and with an aromatic cationic molecule (N,N′-2,7-didecyldiazapyrenium) have also been monitored by multiple techniques, including spectrofluorimetry, Z-potential, 1H NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy. The different spectral behaviour, coupled with the morphological evolution of the resulting nanostructures, highlights the capability of the hybrid polyoxometalate to interact, acting as a ditopic receptor, with different chemical substrates.