Proton-exchange mechanism of specific Cs+ adsorption via lattice defect sites of Prussian blue filled with coordination and crystallization water molecules.

We have revealed the fundamental mechanism of specific Cs(+) adsorption into Prussian blue (PB) in order to develop high-performance PB-based Cs(+) adsorbents in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. We compared two types of PB nanoparticles with formulae of Fe(III)4[Fe(II)(CN)6]3·xH2O (x = 10-15) (PB-1) and (NH4)0.70Fe(III)1.10[Fe(II)(CN)6]·1.7H2O (PB-2) with respect to the Cs(+) adsorption ability. The synthesised PB-1, by a common stoichiometric aqueous reaction between 4Fe(3+) and 3Fe(II)(CN)6, showed much more efficient Cs(+) adsorption ability than did the commercially available PB-2. A high value of the number of waters of crystallization, x, of PB-1 was caused by a lot of defect sites (vacant sites) of Fe(II)(CN)6 moieties that were filled with coordination and crystallization water molecules. Hydrated Cs(+) ions were preferably adsorbed via the hydrophilic defect sites and accompanied by proton-elimination from the coordination water. The low number of hydrophilic sites of PB-2 was responsible for its insufficient Cs(+) adsorption ability.