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Singing The Moly Blues: The Direct Use Of Molybdenum Clusters As A Precursor To The Development Of Molybdenum Blue Glazes, Margaret Fiedler

Undergraduate Review

Cobalt is currently the most commonly used blue colorant for ceramic glazes, however due to its toxicity in powder form there is a need for an alternative. Molybdenum, more specifically molybdenum oxide, is one alternative that has shown promise. This research is aimed at the direct incorporation of reduced molybdenum clusters into the glaze matrix. Two compounds have been synthesized that exhibit an intense blue color, Na₁₅[Mo^VI₁₂₆Mo^V₂₈O₄₅₇H₁₄(H₂O)₇₀]_0.5-[Mo^VI₁₂₄Mo^V₂₈O₄₂₇H₁₄(H₂O)₆₈]_{0.5 …}