The controlled decomposition of the sandwich-type polyoxometalates K
12[(M(OH
2)
2)
3(A-
-PW
9O
34)
2] (where M =Mn(II) or Co(II)) in 0.5 M NaCl yields a new family of transition metal substituted POMs of the general formula[((MOH
2)M
2PW
9O
34)
2(PW
6O
26)]
17- (where M = Mn(II) (
1Mn) or Co(II) (
1Co)). The structure of
1Mn, determined bysingle-crystal X-ray diffraction (
a = 17.4682(10) Å,
b = 22.3071(12) Å,
c = 35.1195(18) Å,
= 95.898(1)
,monoclinic,
P2
1/
c,
Z = 4,
R1 = 6.19%, based on 50264 independent reflections), consists of two B-
-(Mn
IIOH
2)Mn
II2PW
9O
343- units joined by a B-type hexavacant PW
6O
2611- fragment to form a C-shaped polyoxometalate. Alow resolution X-ray structure of the Co(II) analogue,
1Co, was also obtained. The UV-visible spectrum of
1Coshows the characteristic charge-transfer bands of polyoxometalates as well as a new Co-centered peak (560 nm,
= 416 M
-1 cm
-1) which appears at a higher wavelength relative to that exhibited by the parent A-type sandwich,K
12[(Co(OH
2)
2)
3(A-
-PW
9O
34)
2]. The methyltricaprylammonium salt of
1Mn is an effective catalyst for the H
2O
2-based epoxidation of
cis-cyclooctene, cyclohexene, and 1-hexene.