Ultrasound irradiation of hydrothermally engineered sub-20 nm PbS nanoparticles and effect of their size on Aspergillus species morphology

Abstract

Lead sulfide nanoparticles were hydrothermally synthesized and their size was diminished via exposure to ultrasound waves. Both h-PbS and h,us-PbS nanoparticles of different sizes were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, TEM microscopy and surface area measurements. The nanoparticles limited the growth of Aspergillus pathogens and light microscopy proved severe morphological abnormalities in the fungal vesicles, conidiophores and mycelia in response to the nanoparticles.