Potassium ferricyanide

Alias: 13746-66-2

Coding: AHD0123B

Purity：99.5%

The redox couple formed by potassium ferrocyanide(II) and potassium ferricyanide(III) facilitates chemiluminescence detection using luminol.

Basic Information

Product Description

Potassium Ferricyanide

Potassium ferricyanide, commonly known as red blood salt or red blood salt potassium, is an inorganic substance with the chemical formula K3[Fe(CN)6]. It has a molecular weight of 329.24 and is a red crystal that is soluble in water. The aqueous solution of potassium ferricyanide displays yellow-green fluorescence and contains the ferricyanide complex ion [Fe(CN)6]^3−.

Potassium ferricyanide was discovered by German chemist Leopold Gmelin in 1822, and in 1846, German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen successfully determined its composition and crystal structure. The central atom of this substance is the iron ion (Fe³⁺), which is coordinated by the cyanide ion (CN-) with a coordination number of 6. The inner boundary is the ferricyanide ion {[Fe(CN)6]^3-}, while the outer boundary is the potassium ion (K+).

Aqueous solutions of potassium ferricyanide are easily decomposed by light and alkali. When it encounters ferrous salts, a dark blue precipitate will form. It can be completely decomposed by burning and can be decomposed by acid and reduced by light and reducing agents to potassium ferrocyanide. It can be completely decomposed by burning to highly toxicpotassium cyanide and cyanide. However, at room temperature, solid potassium erythremia salt is very stable. Its aqueous solution is easily decomposed by light and alkali, and when it encounters ferrous salts, it will form a dark blue precipitate (Teng's Blue).

Potassium Ferricyanide Applications

• Reagents for analysis -- Titrimetric analysis to determine the chromium content in samples with high levels of iron, cesium, gallium, mercury, zinc, and uranium dioxide, or in passivation liquids. Determination of sulfur content in methanol produced from nitrogenous fertilizers. Analysis of wastewater from pesticide and herbicide production to quantify contamination levels.

• Indicator -- The method of oscillographic polarographic titration that uses potassium ferricyanide as the titrant is termed potassium ferricyanide titration. Potassium dichromate titration utilizes an external indicator. Potassium ferricyanide can be combined with phenolphthalein to prepare an iron-sensitive indicator solution.

• Sensor --A sensor with a potassium ferricyanide-aided enzymatic electrode for determining the maltose and glucose content in samples.

• Dye -- Preparation of X-gal staining solution for staining frozen sections of injured neonatal mouse hearts. Use K3[Fe(CN)6] to detect ferrous ions in biological tissues. It reacts with ferrous ions in an acidic solution to form an insoluble blue pigment, which is called Teng's Blue.

• Cholinesterase test DGKC Act -- Cholinesterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of butyrylthiocholine to produce butyrate and thiocholine. Thiocholine reduces yellow potassium hexacyanoferrate (III) (potassium ferricyanide) into colorless potassium hexacyanoferrate (II) (potassium ferrocyanide), and the absorbance decreases at 405nm. Continuously monitored, the rate of decline is proportional to the activity of cholinesterase in the sample.