Periplasmic bacterial biomineralization of copper sulfide nanoparticles

Metal sulfides are a common group of extracellular bacterial biominerals. Only few cases of intracellular biomineralization have been reported in this group, mostly limited to greigite (Fe3S4) in magnetotactic bacteria. Here, we report the intracellular but periplasmic biomineralization of copper sulfide by the magnetotactic bacterium Desulfamplus magnetovallimortis (strain BW-1) that is known to mineralize greigite and magnetite (Fe3O4) in the cytoplasm. BW-1 produces hundreds of spherical nanoparticles, composed of 1-2 nm substructures of a poorly crystalline hexagonal copper sulfide that remains in a thermodynamically unstable state. Differential proteomics suggests that periplasmic proteins, such as a DegP-like protein and a heavy metal-binding protein, could be involved in this process. The unexpected periplasmic formation of copper sulfide nanoparticles in BW-1 reveals previously unknown possibilities for intracellular biomineralization.

A simple setup miniaturization with multiple benefits for Green Chemistry in nanoparticle synthesis

The development of nanomaterials often relies on wet-chemical syntheses performed in reflux-setups using round-bottom-flasks. An alternative approach to synthesize nanomaterials is here presented that uses glass tubes designed for NMR analysis as reactors. This approach uses less solvent, uses less energy, generates less waste, provides safer conditions, is less prone to contamination and is compatible with high throughput screening. The benefits of this approach are illustrated by an in breadth study with the synthesis of gold, iridium, osmium and copper sulfide nanoparticles.

Application of double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS), Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy and Raman microscopy for the characterization of copper-sulfides

Raman and FTIR microspectroscopies, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and DP-LIBS have been applied towards our understanding of the characterization of the structure and structure–function relationship in copper-sulfide minerals.

Fabrication of a novel separation‐free heterostructured photocatalyst with enhanced visible light activity in photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics

A novel separation‐free poly(N,N′-dimethylacrylamide)-titanium dioxide/copper sulfide (PDMAA-TiO2/CuS) hydrogel photocatalyst with the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis has been successfully developed by a facile two-step method involving a homogeneous polymerization...

In-situ tailored strategy to remove capping agents from copper sulfide for building better lithium-sulfur batteries

Capping agents are frequently used in the chemical synthesis of materials to precisely tailor the size, shape, and composition with the high-performance catalysis expectation. However, as two sides of a...

Camptothecin-Carrying Cuco2s4 Nanoparticles: Sustained Drug Release And Anticancer Activity

Nanocarriers of anticancer drugs are delicately designed with precision addition at every attempt. In this paper, we report CuCo2S4 nanoparticles that show light-absorption in the NIR-II wavelength range and possess magnetic characteristics. The synthesized nanoparticles are characterized employing XRD, SEM, DLS, TGA, and XPS methods. The nanoparticles form a composite with biocompatible polymeric β-cyclodextrin. The nanoparticles possess a band gap energy of 2.25 eV. The magnetic property arises due to the cobalt-incorporation in the nanoparticles. The anticancer drug, camptothecin, is loaded in the nanocarrier with an 89% adsorption efficiency. The in vitro release of the drug occurs in a sustained fashion. Further, the in vitro anticancer potential of the nanocarrier is examined on breast cancer (MDA=MB-231) cell lines and the activities of the free- and the drug-loaded nanocarrier are compared. The cobalt-containing copper sulfide nanoparticle-poly-β-cyclodextrin composite works as a promising nanocarrier of camptothecin.