Nanostructured Manganese Oxides within a Ring-Shaped Polyoxometalate Exhibiting Unusual Oxidation Catalysis.

Nanosized manganese oxides have recently received considerable attention for their synthesis, structures, and potential applications. Although various synthetic methods have been developed, precise synthesis of novel nanostructured manganese oxides are still challenging. In this study, using a structurally defined nanosized cavity inside a ring-shaped polyoxometalate, we succeeded in synthesizing two types of discrete 18 and 20 nuclear nanostructured manganese oxides, Mn18 and Mn20, respectively. In particular, Mn18 showed much higher catalytic activity than other manganese oxides for the oxygenation of alkylarenes including electron-deficient ones, and the reaction proceeded through a unique reaction mechanism due to its unusual manganese oxide structure.