Also the IR and NMR spectra look identical to the ones from the clusters that are directly synthesized from zirconium propoxide, see Figure and S29. We also treated the Zr6methylbutanoate cluster twice with 3 equivalents of hexanoic acid. Methylbutanoic acid does not evaporate as easily as acetic acid and a higher excess was needed. The resulting cluster has the typical IR and NMR signatures of a Zr12 cluster, see Figures and. Also