Prussian blue

This article is about the pigment. For other uses, see Prussian blue (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Russian Blue or Persian blue.
"Paris Blue" redirects here. For the Kyle Eastwood album, see Paris Blue (album).
Prussian blue
Sample of prussian blue
Names
IUPAC name
Iron(II,III) hexacyanidoferrate(II,III)
Other names
  • Brandenburg blue
  • Berlin blue
  • Ferric ferrocyanide
  • Ferric hexacyanoferrate
  • Iron(III) ferrocyanide
  • Iron(III) hexacyanoferrate(II)
  • Parisian blue
  • Sarum blue
  • Midnight blue
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.034.418 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 237-875-5
1093743
UNII
  • InChI=1S/18CN.7Fe/c18*1-2;;;;;;;/q;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;3*-4;4*+3 checkY
    Key: DNMNDNSFJMUUFM-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • InChI=1S/18CN.7Fe/c18*1-2;;;;;;;/q;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;3*-4;4*+3
  • Key: DNMNDNSFJMUUFM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • [Fe+3].[Fe+3].[Fe+3].[Fe+3].N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N.N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N.N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N
Properties
C18Fe7N18
Molar mass 859.239 g·mol−1
Appearance Blue opaque crystals
Insoluble
Structure
Face-centered cubic, cF43
Fm3m, No. 225[1]
Pharmacology
V03AB31 (WHO)
Oral
Hazards
Safety data sheet (SDS) MSDS Prussian blue
Related compounds
Other cations
 Potassium ferrocyanide

Sodium ferrocyanide

Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Prussian blue (also known as Berlin blue, Brandenburg blue, Parisian and Paris blue) is a dark blue pigment produced by oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide salts. It has the chemical formula FeIII
4[FeII
(CN)
6]
3. Turnbull's blue is chemically identical, but is made from different reagents, and its slightly different color stems from different impurities and particle sizes.

Prussian blue was created in the early 18th century and is the first modern synthetic pigment. It is prepared as a very fine colloidal dispersion, because the compound is not soluble in water. It contains variable amounts[2] of other ions and its appearance depends sensitively on the size of the colloidal particles. The pigment is used in paints, it became prominent in 19th-century aizuri-e (藍摺り絵) Japanese woodblock prints, and it is the traditional "blue" in technical blueprints.

In medicine, orally administered Prussian blue is used as an antidote for certain kinds of heavy metal poisoning, e.g., by thallium(I) and radioactive isotopes of cesium. The therapy exploits Prussian blue's ion-exchange properties and high affinity for certain "soft" metal cations. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.[3]

Prussian blue lent its name to prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) derived from it. In German, hydrogen cyanide is called Blausäure ('blue acid'). Cyanide also acquired its name from this relationship.

  1. ^ Fuess, H. (20 July 2010). International Tables for Crystallography, Vol. A (2016 ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-68575-4.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dunbar was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "WHO Model List of Essential Medicines" (PDF). World Health Organization. October 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2014.