Prussian blue

Not to be confused with Persian blue.

Prussian blue, also known as Berlin blue, is a dark blue color that is artificially made.

Prussian blue

Names
IUPAC name Iron(II,III) hexacyanoferrate(II,III)
Other names Berlin blue Ferric ferrocyanide Ferric hexacyanoferrate Iron(III) ferrocyanide Iron(III) hexacyanoferrate(II) Parisian blue
Identifiers
CAS Number	14038-43-8 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:30069 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL2096629 N
ChemSpider	20074656 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.034.418
EC Number	237-875-5
Gmelin Reference	1093743
PubChem CID	2724251
UNII	TLE294X33A Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID9047756
SMILES [Fe+3].[Fe+3].[Fe+3].[Fe+3].N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N.N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N.N#C[Fe-4](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N
Properties
Chemical formula	C18Fe7N18
Molar mass	859.24 g·mol−1
Appearance	Blue opaque crystals
Pharmacology
ATC code	V03AB31 (WHO)
Routes of administration	Oral
Related compounds
Other cations	{{{value}}}
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N verify (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Prussian blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#003153
sRGBB  (r, g, b)	(0, 49, 83)
HSV       (h, s, v)	(205°, 100%, 32%)
Source
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Dark blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

It is one of the first pigments made synthetically. It was accidentally found in 1704 by two chemists in Berlin.^[1]

The dark blue uniforms of the Prussian army were dyed this color.^[2]

Color

Prussian blue oil paint thinned with turpentine.

A color can be shown by hex triplet is a six-digit, three-byte hexadecimal number used in HTML, CSS, and other computing applications. The hex triplet to represent Prussian blue is 003153.

When using the RGB color model where red, green, and blue light are added together, Prussian blue has the RGB code of 0, 49, 83

Use as a medicine

Prussian blue is a medicine that is sometimes given by doctors to help remove certain radioactive materials from people’s bodies. It has been used this way since the 1960s.^[3]

Potential use in computer storage

Prussian blue is a chemical compound. One of the chemical elements in this compound is iron.^[2]

Researchers have experimented replacing some of the iron atoms in Prussian blue with cobalt. When the Prussian blue compound is lit with a red light at -150 C, the compound shifts from being non-magnetic (off) to magnetic (on). The magnetic shift does not change back except if deliberately reversed (or undone) with heat.^[2]

This magnetism is due to the transfer of an electron from the cobalt to the iron, with light providing the energy, while the electron moves back when heat is applied, the researchers said.^[2]

This magnetic property means the compound can be used in computer storage. Because the compound can be turned "on" and "off" in a controlled way, it can remember binary information. Binary information is used for computer storage.^[2]

This way of using the compound is still being developed.^[2]

It is also used as a machinists dye to check wear patterns.

Tones of Prussian blue color comparison chart

Name	Color	HEX Code	Red	Green	Blue	Hue	Sat	Lum	Source
Dark Slate Blue		#483D8B	72	61	139	248°	39%	39%	(web color)
Persian Indigo		#32127A	50	18	122	258°	74%	27%	(Regimental) (PerBang.dk) (Maerz & Paul)
Dark Imperial Blue		#00416A	0	65	106	203°	100%	21%	Imperial Blue (ISCC-NBS)
Midnight Blue		#191970	25	25	112	240°	64%	27%	(web color)
Dark Midnight Blue		#003366	0	51	102	210°	100%	20%	(Midnight Blue (Crayola))
Prussian Blue		#003153	0	49	83	205°	100%	16%	(Berlin Blue) (PerBang.dk) (Maerz & Paul)
Dark Indigo		#310062	49	0	98	270°	100%	19%	(PerBang.dk)
Gulf Blue		#051657	9	22	87	228°	89%	18%	(Xona.com color list)

Related pages

• Indigo
• List of colors
• Navy blue