A carbon-free polyoxometalate molecular catalyst with a cobalt–arsenic core for visible light-driven water oxidation.

A carbon-free, stable, homogeneous water oxidation catalyst based on the unique hepta-nuclear cobalt–arsenic core (“fused” double-quasi-cubane) and polyoxometalate ligands, Na12[{CoII7AsIII6O9(OH)6}(A-α-SiW9O34)2]·8H2O (1), was synthesized, thoroughly characterized and employed to catalyze water oxidation under visible-light-driven conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]