Due to their size and the electrical charges that they carry, polyoxometallates are categorized as nano-ions. Formed from transition metal oxides, they are studied for their antimicrobial and anti-tumor properties, for their ability to prevent the formation of amyloid plaques, and for their transfer properties through phospholipid (cellular) membranes.
Some "large" ions with a low charge density such as iodides (I-), thiocyanates (SCN-) and perchlorates (ClO4-) are called chaotropes because they display weak adsorption on polar uncharged interfaces (such as cell membranes). Using nano-sized multi-atomic ions with delocalized charges, a team from the ICSM has shown that the chaotropic effect was enhanced and that such nano-ions are able to adsorb much more strongly on these same interfaces.
This "super-chaotropy" offers unique opportunities in the fields of solubilization, the formation of hybrid functional materials, and in biology regarding the production of transmembrane transporters.