The difference between potassium ferricyanide and potassium ferricyanide
Potassium ferricyanide, its chemical formula is $K_4 [Fe (CN) _6] $, commonly known as yellow blood salt. The appearance is often light yellow monoitalic crystal or powder, odorless, slightly salty, stable at room temperature. It is easy to decompose when heated, and under certain conditions will produce toxic cyanide. It is widely used in industry, such as as a carburizing agent in the iron and steel industry, which can enhance the surface hardness of steel; in the food industry, it is often used as an anti-caking agent for table salt, which can effectively prevent salt from caking, ensure that table salt is loose, and is convenient for daily use.
Potassium ferricyanide, the chemical formula is $K_3 [Fe (CN) _6] $, also known as red blood salt. Usually presented as dark red crystals, the aqueous solution is yellow. It is relatively stable in air, but will gradually decompose when exposed to strong light. Potassium ferricyanide has strong oxidizing properties and will react with ferrous ions to form a blue precipitate. This precipitate is Prussian blue. This reaction is often used to detect the presence of ferrous ions in chemical analysis. In the printing and dyeing industry, potassium ferricyanide can be used as a mordant to help dyes better adhere to fabrics.
In terms of composition and structure, the valence of iron in potassium ferricyanide is + 2, and the valence of iron in potassium ferricyanide is + 3. The difference in valence state makes its chemical properties different. Potassium ferricyanide is relatively stable and has weak reducing properties; potassium ferricyanide has strong oxidizing properties. From the perspective of use, potassium ferricyanide is mostly used in the fields of salt resistance to knots, while potassium ferricyanide is more used in chemical analysis and printing and dyeing. In terms of chemical reaction performance, the reaction between potassium ferricyanide and specific substances focuses on showing the stability of its coordination structure and weak reduction; potassium ferricyanide is easier to capture electrons in the reaction due to its oxidation, promoting the process of redox reaction. In short, although potassium ferricyanide and potassium ferricyanide are only one word different, there are significant differences in many aspects.