Room-temperature synthesis of Prussian blue analogue Co3[Co(CN)6]2 porous nanostructures and their CO2 storage properties

A nanosized Prussian blue analogue Co3[Co(CN)6]2 (PBA) with novel morphology was achieved at room temperature by simple mixing K3[Co(CN)6]2 and Co(CH3COO)2·4H2O in the presence of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). The as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of synthetic parameters such as different surfactants on the morphology and size of the particles were investigated. The experimental results showed that the amount of SDBS employed in the reaction system played an important role in determining the size and shape of the products. More interestingly, the as-prepared product showed high CO2 adsorption at room temperature and 1 bar of pressure, which is higher than that of the bulk materials. These results prove that the gas adsorption properties of Co3[Co(CN)6]2 are highly dependent on not only its surface area but also its morphology, and the materials at the nanoscale are more favorable to adsorption applications.