Recent advances on the synthesis, structure, and properties of polyoxotantalates

Polyoxotantalates (POTas) are an important branch of polyoxometalates (POMs) that remain largely undeveloped compared with other members of the POM family including polyoxovanadates, polyoxotungstates, polyoxomolybdates, and polyoxoniobates. Owing to their promising applications in diverse fields such as photo/electrocatalysis, ion conduction, environmental protection, and magnetism, the development of synthetic strategies for new POTas has attracted continuous interest over the past decades. This review summarizes the current status in the development of POTas, including their synthetic methods, crystal structures, physicochemical properties, and potential applications. Additionally, synthetic challenges and prospects are also discussed. It is hoped that this review will be of reference value for the further development of POTas.