Magnetism and Photomagnetism of Prussian Blue Analogue Nanoparticles Embedded in Porous Metal Oxide Ordered Nanostructures

Prussian blue analogues (PBA) are key compounds in the field of molecular magnetism and photomagnetism. In parallel to the huge development of this class of compounds, many efforts have been devoted to produce PBAs in various shapes and sizes. In this microreview we focus on the works reporting the use of porous metal oxide nanostructures as hard-template to control the size, the shape and the solid-state organization of magnetic and photomagnetic PBA nanoparticles. The oxide matrices that have been implemented so far and their characteristics are presented first. Then, the approaches that were successfully used to control PBA formation within the pores of the matrices are described as well as the mophology and environment of the functional nanoparticles. Lastly, the magnetic and photomagnetic properties of the nanocomposites are reviewed.