Magnetocaloric effect in hexacyanochromate Prussian blue analogs

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetocaloric effect in two Prussian blue analogs, revealing significant magnetic entropy changes at relatively high temperatures, which is promising for magnetic cooling applications.

Contribution

First exploration of magnetocaloric properties in molecule-based Prussian blue analogs at temperatures above liquid helium.

Findings

CsNi[Cr(CN)_6](H_2O) orders ferromagnetically below 90 K

Cr_3[Cr(CN)_6]_2x12(H_2O) is ferrimagnetic below 230 K

Both materials exhibit large magnetic entropy changes during phase transitions

Abstract

We report on the magnetocaloric properties of two molecule-based hexacyanochromate Prussian blue analogs, nominally CsNi[Cr(CN)_6](H_2O) and Cr_3[Cr(CN)_6]_2x12(H_2O). The former orders ferromagnetically below Tc=90 K, whereas the latter is a ferrimagnet below Tc=230 K. For both, we find significantly large magnetic entropy changes DSm associated to the magnetic phase transitions. Notably, our studies represent the first attempt to look at molecule-based materials in terms of the magnetocaloric effect for temperatures well above the liquid helium range.