What is Prussian Blue?
Prussian blue (also known as Berlin blue, Brandenburg blue, or Parisian or Paris blue in painting) was initially developed as a paint and ink pigment. The name Prussian blue originated in the 18th century, when the compound was employed to color Prussian army uniform jackets. It is a deep blue pigment consisting of iron cations, cyanide anions, and water and is produced when the oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide salts occurs.
It is used as an antidote for certain kinds of heavy metal poisoning and is listed on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.
The product is currently under development. Samples are available from R&D.
| PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Name of Product | Prussian Blue |
| IUPAC Name | iron(2+);iron(3+);octadecacyanide |
| Synonyms | Ferric Ferrocyanide; iron(III) hexacyanoferrate(II); Ferrocin; Parisian blue; Preussischblau; Turnbulls Blau; Berliner Blau; Brandenburg blue; Berlin blue; Sarum blue; Midnight blue |
| CAS No | 14038-43-8 |
| Molecular Formula | C18Fe7N18 |
| Molecular Weight | 859.2 g/mol |
| Pubchem CID | 2724251 |
| Pubchem SID | 475523906 |
Chemical Properties
| SR. No | Criteria | Limit/Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appearance (Form) | Solid Powder or Opaque Crystals |
| 2 | Appearance (Colour) | Deep Blue to Purple |
| 3 | Solubility | Practically insoluble in water, diluted acids, and most common organic solvents |
Uses
- In medicine, Prussian blue is provided orally as an antidote for heavy metal poisoning, such as that caused by Thallium(I) and radioactive isotopes of Caesium.
- It is a common histopathology stain that pathologists employ to detect the presence of iron in biopsies, such as bone marrow samples.
- Prussian blue in an oily base has traditionally been the material of choice for identifying metal surfaces prior to hand scraping, particularly surface plates and bearings.
- Prussian Blue/Prussian Blue Analogues and their derivatives can be employed as electrode materials in lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and potassium-ion batteries for reversible alkali-ion insertion and extraction.
- It also serves as a pigment that is utilized frequently in the production of oil paintings, watercolors, dyes, and also in some cosmetic ingredients.
FAQs
Q. How does Prussian Blue work?
Owing to the ion-exchange property of Prussian Blue and it’s high affinity for “soft” metal cations, it works by binding to the metals in the digestive tract and prevents the body from absorbing them, thus working as an antidote for heavy metal poisoning, such as thallium and radioactive isotopes of caesium.
Q. Is Prussian blue toxic?
Attempts at self-treatment with Prussian blue dye grade are not recommended. The dye grade variety of Prussian blue should not be used as a therapy for radioactive contamination since it may cause harm.
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