A family of CoFe Prussian blue analogues
CxCo
4[Fe(CN)
6]
(8+x/3)
(4–x)3 (
x = amount of alkali cation inserted per conventional cell, C = Na, K, Rb, Cs;
![](/images/glyphs/BFN.GIF)
= [Fe(CN)
6] vacancy) have been synthesized and characterized. Their photomagnetic properties have been investigated by magnetic measurements before and after irradiation and X-ray diffraction under continuous irradiation. We show that the photo-induced magnetism depends on several parameters: (
i) the amount of Co
III–Fe
II diamagnetic excitable pairs per cell; (
ii) the amount of [Fe(CN)
6] vacancies, and (
iii) the amount and nature of the alkali cations per cell. We evidence a discontinuity in the properties' change when the amount of alkali cation
x varies, around
x = 1. For
x < 1, there is an excitation of diluted Co
III–Fe
II diamagnetic pairs in a phase mainly composed of magnetic Co
II–Fe
III entities within the same structural phase through a second-order continuous transformation. For
x ≥ 1, the formation of domains mainly composed of Co
II–Fe
III* metastable magnetic pairs in a phase mainly composed of Co
III–Fe
II diamagnetic ones through a first-order discontinuous transition is observed. The study points out that sodium derivatives are more efficient than the others. Among them, Na
1Co
4[Fe(CN)
6]
3
1 is predicted to be the most efficient one.
To cite this article: A. Bleuzen et al., C. R. Chimie 6 (2003).