Compositions and structures of copper hexacyanoferrates(II) and (III): experimental results.

The preparation, composition and structure of copper hexacyanoferrates have been investigated. Three methods were used: precipitation, local growth in an aqueous solution, and growth in a gel. Four compounds were obtained, either in powdered form or as single crystals: Cu(II)(2)Fe(II)(CN)(6) . xH(2)O, Cu(II)(3)[Fe(III)(CN)(6)](2) . xH(2)O, Na(2)Cu(II)Fe(II)(CN)(6) . 10H(2)O and K(2)Cu(II)Fe(II)(CN)(6). Powders of Cu(II)(2)Fe(II)(CN)(6) . xH(2)O and Cu(II)(3)[Fe(III) (CN)(6)](2) . xH(2)O are easily prepared by precipitation and can also be obtained by local growth. They crystallise generally with cubic symmetry, in space group Fm3m, and are structurally disordered. The mixed copper hexacyanoferrates of general formulae M(1)(2)Cu(II)Fe(II)(CN)(6) or M(I)Cu(II)Fe(III)(CN)(6) (here M(I) is Na, K) were not obtained by precipitation. The appropriate method was local growth for the preparation of powders of K(2)Cu(II)Fe(II)(CN)(6). Single crystals of Na(2)Cu(II)Fe(II)(CN)(6) were obtained by growth in a gel, and their study using single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a new monoclinic structure.