Abstract
Bifunctional catalysis of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) is one of the most active frontier areas in catalytic hydrogenation. The first MoIV-γ-Keggin-like cluster H2[(py3MOIV3)2MOVI7O32(OH)4] (γ-1, py = pyridine), which contains unprecedented MoIV–O–MoVIO FLPs (POM-FLPs), was prepared in a high yield. The synergistic effect of the POM-FLPs accounts for the high efficiency in catalytic hydrogenation as exemplified by the excellent performance (yield > 99%) of γ-1 as the heterogeneous catalyst in the hydrogenation reduction of nitroarenes to anilines with hydrazine hydrate under mild conditions, revealing the promising potential of such unique MOIV3–POMoVI FLP systems in catalytic hydrogenation.