From a Metastable Layer to a Stable Ring: A Kinetic Study for Transformation Reactions of Li₂ Mo₃ TeO₁₂ to Polyoxometalates

A metastable tellurite, Li₂ Mo₃ TeO₁₂ , revealing a corrugated layered structure in an extremely strained coordination environment was hydrothermally synthesized in high yield. Li₂ Mo₃ TeO₁₂ undergoes Li⁺ -exchange-driven facile structural transformation reactions to polyoxometalates. The kinetic data for the transformation reactions at various conditions were successfully obtained by simple lab-source powder X-ray diffraction. The investigation suggests that the solid-state transformation reactions may occur through a series of steps; substitution, decomposition, recombination, and precipitation. This new finding could be utilized in discovering functional metastable materials as well as understanding their phase transition mechanisms.