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Microbial Synthesis of Semiconductor PbS Nanocrystallites
Author(s) -
Kowshik M.,
Vogel W.,
Urban J.,
Kulkarni S.K.,
Paknikar K.M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/1521-4095(20020605)14:11<815::aid-adma815>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - materials science , crystallite , semiconductor , diffraction , nanotechnology , absorption (acoustics) , nanocrystal , band gap , optoelectronics , chemical engineering , optics , composite material , physics , engineering , metallurgy
The use of microbes as producers of semiconductor nanocrystals is demonstrated. When torulopsis yeast is challenged with lead, it builds intracellular spherical crystallites of PbS, 2–5 nm in diameter (see Figure for an HR‐TEM image) and pure by X‐ray diffraction. The crystals, which can be isolated by freeze‐thawing, show a sharp absorption maximum at 330 nm, corresponding to a bandgap of 3.75 eV.