In his Master project Sven Herrmann for the first time carried out fundamental investigations
into the development of polyoxometalate based ionic liquids (POM-ILs). The POM-ILs were
obtained by charge balancing inorganic polyoxometalate (POM) anions with sterically demanding
tetraalkylammonium or tetraalkylphosphonium cations. By functionalization of lacunary Keggin
clusters with 3d-transition metals and charge balancing with tetraalkylammonium cations of
differing chain length a model system for the correlation of the molecular structure with
macroscopic materials properties was obtained. In a systematic approach the syntheses via
self-aggregation is presented. Analytic methods comprise UV-Vis FTIR NMR EPR and Mößbauer
spectroscopy. For determination of the materials properties TGA and DSC were carried out and
rheological studies shed light onto the flow characteristics of the highly viscous materials.
