Direct preparation and characterization of copper pentacyanonitrosylferrate nanoparticles

Abstract

The present work describes the preparation of nanoparticles of copper pentacyanonitrosyl complexes starting from the compound sodium nitroprusside. Copper pentacyanonitrosylferrate (NCuNP) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by using deionized water and formamide as solvent. The material was characterized by Fourier-transforming infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results revealed that the electronic spectra of NCuNP exhibited a broad intervalence charge transfer band at 685 nm. An XRD peak broadening pattern of the NCuNP was verified, indicating a particle decrease when formamide is used. The particle size of NCuNP is estimated to be 80 nm. The cyclic voltammogram of the modified graphite paste electrode with NCuNP showed two redox pairs with formal potentials Eθ′ = 0.36 V and Eθ′ = 0.78 V (= 20 mV s-1; KCl 1.0 M), attributed to the redox process CuI/CuII and [FeII(CN)O]/[FeIII(CN)O], respectively. The graphite paste electrode with NCuNP presents electrocatalytic response for Sulfite determination.