Sulfidogenic Bioreactor-Mediated Formation of ZnS Nanoparticles with Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Activity
Sulfidogenic Bioreactor-Mediated Formation of ZnS Nanoparticles with Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Activity
Authors
Segura, Aileen
Rodriguez, Araceli
Hernandez, Pedro
Pesenti, Hector
Hernandez Montelongo, Jacobo
Arranz, Antonio
Benito, Noelia
Bitencourt, Jose
Vergara Gonzalez, Luis
Nancucheo, Ivan
Recio Sanchez, Gonzalo
Rodriguez, Araceli
Hernandez, Pedro
Pesenti, Hector
Hernandez Montelongo, Jacobo
Arranz, Antonio
Benito, Noelia
Bitencourt, Jose
Vergara Gonzalez, Luis
Nancucheo, Ivan
Recio Sanchez, Gonzalo
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Date
Datos de publicaciĆ³n:
10.3390/nano13050935
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Abstract
The use of sulfidogenic bioreactors is a biotechnology trend to recover valuable metals such as copper and zinc as sulfide biominerals from mine-impacted waters. In the present work, ZnS nanoparticles were produced using 'green' H2S gas generated by a sulfidogenic bioreactor. ZnS nanoparticles were physico-chemically characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, TEM, XRD and XPS. The experimental results showed spherical-like shape nanoparticles with principal zinc-blende crystalline structure, a semiconductor character with an optical band gap around 3.73 eV, and fluorescence emission in the UV-visible range. In addition, the photocatalytic activity on the degradation of organic dyes in water, as well as bactericidal properties against several bacterial strains, were studied. ZnS nanoparticles were able to degrade methylene blue and rhodamine in water under UV radiation, and also showed high antibacterial activity against different bacterial strains including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results open the way to obtain valorous ZnS nanoparticles from the use of dissimilatory reduction of sulfate using a sulfidogenic bioreactor.