Control of phase behavior in a Prussian blue analogue

Wanhong He and Daniel R. Talham

Department of Chemistry, University of Florida

A materials chemistry challenge is to develop ways to control the phase behavior of solids that undergo solid-solid phase transitions. The Prussian blue analogue (PBA) rubidium manganese hexacyanoferrate (RbMnFe-PBA), is a coordination polymer magnet, displaying a reversible visible-light-induced phase transition between a ferromagnetic low temperature phase and an antiferromagnetic photo-induced phase. The approach taken here is to construct core-shell heterostructures with other PBAs that have different lattice constants in order to modify the RbMnFe lattice and influence the light-induced phase transition. Core-shell particles with potassium nickel hexacyanochromate (KNiCr-PBA) were obtained via a stepwise co-precipitation method. The synthesis, characterization and magnetism of the core-shell particles will be presented.