Biosynthesis of Fluorescent Bi₂S₃ Nanoparticles and their Application as Dual-Function SPECT-CT Probe for Animal Imaging

Abstract

Bismuth sulphide (Bi2S3) is an excellent semiconductor and its nanoparticles have numerous significant applications including photovoltaic materials, photodiode arrays, bio-imaging, etc. Nevertheless, these nanoparticles when fabricated by chemical and physical routes tend to easily aggregate in colloidal solutions, are eco-unfriendly, cumbrous and very broad in size distribution. The aim of the present manuscript was to ecologically fabricate water dispersible, safe and stable Bi2S3 nanoparticles such that these may find use in animal imaging, diagnostics, cell labeling and other biomedical applications. Herein, we for the first time have biosynthesized highly fluorescent, natural protein capped Bi2S3 nanoparticles by subjecting the fungus Fusarium oxysporum to bismuth nitrate pentahydrate [Bi(NO3)3.5H2O] alongwith sodium sulphite (Na2SO3) as precursor salts under ambient conditions of temperature, pressure and pH. The nanoparticles were completely characterized using recognized standard techniques. These natural protein capped Bi2S3 nanoparticles are quasi-spherical in shape with an average particle size of 15 nm, maintain long term stability and show semiconductor behavior having blue shift with a band gap of 3.04 eV. Semiconductor nanocrystals are fundamentally much more fluorescent than the toxic fluorescent chemical compounds (fluorophores) which are presently largely employed in imaging, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry, etc. Biologically fabricated fluorescent nanoparticles may replace organic fluorophores and aid in rapid development of biomedical nanotechnology. Thus, biodistribution study of the so-formed Bi2S3 nanoparticles in male Sprague Dawley rats was done by radiolabelling with Technitium-99m (Tc-99m) and clearance time from blood was calculated. The nanoparticles were then employed in SPECT-CT probe for animal imaging where these imparted iodine equivalent contrast.

Transition Metals Doped Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications

“…Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) embedded in a glassy matrix, such as: Bi 2-x Mn x S3 [32], Bi 2-x Fe x S 3 , [33] Bi 2-x Co x S 3 [34] and Bi 2-x Cr x S 3 , [35] have potential properties for the production of photovoltaic cells [36,37] thermoelectric cooling, [38,39] photodetectors, [40] field emission electronics [41] and fluorescent markers [42].…”

Starch-Assisted Synthesis of Bi2S3 Nanoparticles for Enhanced Dielectric and Antibacterial Applications

“…These Bi 2 S 3 NPs were also employed in small-animal single-photon emission computed tomography probes. 13 The synthesis of biomolecule-capped metal sulfides (such as CdS QDs, ZnS QDs, and CuS NPs) was reported previously. 14−16 Semiconductor NPs having biological cappings are gaining popularity as effective antibacterial agents with a broad variety of applications and biocompatibility, making them excellent candidates for pharmaceutical and biomedical use.…”

“…These Bi 2 S 3 NPs were also employed in small-animal single-photon emission computed tomography probes. 13 The synthesis of biomolecule-capped metal sulfides (such as CdS QDs, ZnS QDs, and CuS NPs) was reported previously. 14 − 16 …”

Bright Side of Fusarium oxysporum: Secondary Metabolites Bioactivities and Industrial Relevance in Biotechnology and Nanotechnology

“…Uddin et al, synthesized a highly fluorescent, natural protein capped Bi 2 S 3 NPs by subjecting F. oxysporum to bismuth nitrate penta-hydrate, along with sodium sulfite under ambient conditions of pressure, temperature, and pH. It was found that they were fundamentally much more fluorescent than fluorophores (toxic fluorescent chemical compounds), which are largely utilized in immunohistochemistry, imaging, and biochemistry [48].…”

“…Additionally, F. oxysporum possessed significant industrial and biotechnological values as a wealthy source of diverse enzymes with wide applications such as cutinases, nitrilases, glycoside hydrolases (e.g., fucosidase, α-galactopyranosidases, and xylanases), fructosyl amino acid oxidase, laccases, lipoxygenase, nitric oxide reductase, decarboxylases, keratinase, phospholipase B, and triosephosphate isomerase [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. Further, F. oxysporum is widely employed for the synthesis of different types of metal nanoparticles that could have various biotechnological, pharmaceutical, industrial, and medicinal applications [43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. The intensive literature search revealed the lack of review articles that deal with F. oxysporum particularly the bright side of this economically valuable fungus.…”