Comprehensive Neurotoxicity of Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals in Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

To date, all‐inorganic lead halide perovskite quantum dots have emerged as promising materials for photonic, optoelectronic devices, and biological applications, especially in solar cells, raising numerous concerns about their biosafety. Most of the studies related to the toxicity of perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) have focused on the potential risks of hybrid perovskites by using zebrafish or human cells. So far, the neurotoxic effects and fundamental mechanisms of PeQDs remain unknown. Herein, a comprehensive methodology is designed to investigate the neurotoxicity of PeQDs by using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The results show that the accumulation of PeQDs mainly focuses on the alimentary system and head region. Acute exposure to PeQDs results in a decrease in locomotor behaviors and pharyngeal pumping, whereas chronic exposure to PeQDs causes brood decline and shortens lifespan. In addition, some abnormal issues occur in the uterus during reproduction assays, such as vulva protrusion, impaired eggs left in the vulva, and egg hatching inside the mother. Excessive reactive oxygen species formation is also observed. The neurotoxicity of PeQDs is explained by gene expression. This study provides a complete insight into the neurotoxicity of PeQD and encourages the development of novel nontoxic PeQDs.

Perovskite Nanocrystals: Superior Luminogens for Food Quality Detection Analysis

“…Halide perovskite nanocrystal is a kind of newly developed semiconductor material whose molecular formula can be described by ABX 3 , in which A stands for alkali metal cation cesium (Cs + ), formamidine ion (CH­(NH 2 ) 2+ ), or methylamine ion (CH 3 NH 3 + ); B is metal cation, such as Pb 2+ , Sn 2+ ; and X represents halide anion (I, Br, Cl, or their complex). − In the structure of halide perovskite nanocrystals, the B site is coordinated with six nearest-neighbor X sites, and the cation A sits in the cavity generated by the octagonal shared BX 6 octahedron. The ideal 3D structure of the perovskite nanocrystal is shown in Figure A.…”