One-pot synthesis of Prussian blue superparticles from reverse microemulsion

Reverse microemulsion was used as a suitable reaction system for the one-pot synthesis of superparticles (SPs) as confirmed by the fabrication of Prussian blue (PB) SPs for the first time in this work. SPs built from PB nanocubes with different size distributions were synthesized through intricate control of related parameters. The formation of SPs is based on particle-mediated self-assembly involved in spontaneous size selection. In addition to the hydrophobic interaction of surfactants, the geometric complementation factor was firstly suggested to play an important role in the self-assembly of PB nanocubes. This kind of self-assembly is closely related to the morphology of nanocrystals (NCs) and may loosen the size distribution requirement for NC self-assembly. These SPs show relatively large BET area due to the unique organization style of nanocubes and may be promising candidates as porous materials. Finally, the versatility of reverse microemulsion in the fabrication of PB SPs from PB nanocubes with different sizes was demonstrated. This hydrothermal reverse microemulsion reaction system has great potential for the synthesis of SPs from NCs with other compositions and morphologies.