Integrative Synthesis of Coordination Polymers, Metal Oxides, and Alloys Magnetic Nanoparticles in MSU Mesoporous Silica

Abstract

Metal cyanobridged coordination polymers—or Prussian blue analogues (PBA)—nanoparticles have been synthesized along with a mesostructured MSU-type silica matrix. This synthesis was applied to several M(II)3[M′(III)(CN)6]2, (M = Co, Ni, Fe; M′ = Co, Fe) and a homogeneous distribution of PBA nanometric particles was obtained, even at high concentration (>20 wt %) within a silica matrix that exhibits long-range order as the result of the concomitant increase in concentration of nonionic surfactants templates during the synthesis. The same magnetic behavior as observed for bulk materials was observed with the magnetic PBA nanoparticles and thermal treatment under different atmospheres leads to the formation of bimetallic oxides or alloys, which display magnetic properties.