Crystal structure refinement, spectroscopic study and magnetic properties of yttrium hexacyanoferrate (III)

► The crystal structure of Y[Fe(CN) 6]·4H 2O was investigated by DRXP and IR spectroscopy. ► The thermal decomposition produces the mixed oxide YFeO 3 with perovskite-type structure. ► The magnetic measurements reveal that Y[Fe(CN) 6]·4H 2O shows anti-ferromagnetic interactions at low temperatures. Y[Fe(CN) 6]·4H 2O has been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure was refined by Rietveld analysis using X-ray powder diffraction data. Y[Fe(CN) 6]·4H 2O crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, space group Cmcm. Y 3+ ion is eight-coordinated forming a bicapped distorted trigonal prism YN 6O 2. Fe 3+ ion is six-coordinated in the form of an irregular octahedra FeC 6 group and cyanide linkages between YN 6O 2 and FeC 6 groups build an infinite polymeric array. The vibrational spectrum shows two bands corresponding to antisymmetric and symmetric stretching 12C 14N in the CN stretching region. These bands are accompanied by four weak isotopic bands at lower frequency due to the presence of 13C and 15N in relative natural abundance. The HOH bending band split into three bands around 1600 cm −1 due to the presence of two kinds of water molecules in the structure. The thermal decomposition has been followed by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, IR spectroscopy and powder XRD. The size and morphology of the complex and its thermal decomposition products were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The magnetic measurements confirm that Y[Fe(CN) 6]·4H 2O shows an antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures.