Bi2S3 Nanoparticles Research Articles

Improved photocatalytic reduction of mercuric cations over g-C3N4 nanosheets decorated by mesoporous Bi2S3 nanoparticles under visible light illumination

In this context, g-C3N4 nanosheets were decorated by mesoporous Bi2S3 nanoparticles (NPs) to produce newly Bi2S3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions containing various proportions (1, 2, 3, 4 wt.%) of Bi2S3 NPs. This was established using a hard and soft template. The fabricated heterojunctions succeeded to achieve highly efficient elimination of Hg2+ via photocatalytic reduction when illuminated by visible light. Furthermore, the synthesized heterojunctions acquired improved features such as limited band gap energy and significant specific surface areas. The homogenous distribution of the spherical-like Bi2S3 NPs (particle dimension of 3–6 nm) on g-C3N4 nanosheets was declared from the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique. The improved Bi2S3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite of 4 wt.% Bi2S3 NPs acquired enlarged magnetization magnitude (35.5 emu g–1) in comparison to that of Bi2S3 NPs (30.5 emu g–1). Tremendous efficiency of the elimination of Hg2+ via photocatalytic reduction has been accomplished by the prepared Bi2S3/g-C3N4 heterojunction in comparison to those by Bi2S3 NPs or g-C3N4 nanosheets. Complete (100%) elimination of Hg2+ has been established by 4 wt.% Bi2S3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst whereas, the efficiency attained over Bi2S3 NPs was 24% after 1 h of visible light illumination. Moreover, the rate of the photocatalytic elimination of Hg2+ by 4 wt.% Bi2S3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was greater (490.00 µmolg−1 h−1) compared to the rates depicted over neat Bi2S3 NPs (100.00 µmolg−1 h−1) and neat g-C3N4 (65.00 µmolg−1 h−1). In addition, recycled mesoporous Bi2S3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions proposed more excellent stability and durability towards the photocatalytic reduction of mercuric cations.

Integration of TaOx with Bi2S3 for Targeted Multimodality Breast Cancer Theranostics.

Early identification and treatment of breast cancer is very important for breast conserving therapy and to improve the prognosis and survival rates of patients. Multifunctional nanotheranostic agents are of particular importance in the field of precise nanomedicine, since they can augment the visualization and treatment of cancer. We developed a novel Bi2S3 nanoparticle coated with a hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified tantalum oxide (TaOx) nanoshell (Bi2S3@TaOx-HA). The as-prepared core/shell nanoparticles exhibited a high Bi2S3 nanoparticle loading efficiency of (67 wt %). The TaOx nanoshell exhibited excellent biocompatibility and computed tomography imaging capacity, and the Bi2S3 nanoparticles exhibited an excellent photothermal transducing performance and computed tomography (CT) and photoacoustic imaging capacity. As a result of these merits, the Bi2S3@TaOx core-shell nanoparticles can act as a theranostic agent for CT/photoacoustically monitored enhanced photothermal therapy. These findings will evoke new interest in future cancer therapeutic strategies based on biocompatible functional nanomaterials.

Bi2S3/rGO co-modified TiO2 nanotube photoanode for enhanced photoelectrochemical cathodic protection of stainless steel

A novel Bi2S3/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) co-modified TiO2 nanotube photoanode was fabricated on a Ti foil by anodization combined with cyclic voltammetric electrodeposition, and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction. After modifying the TiO2 nanotube film with rGO sheets and Bi2S3 nanoparticles, the band gap of the Bi2S3/rGO/TiO2 composite film decreased, and its photoresponse was extended to the visible region. Under white light irradiation, the composite film in a 0.1 M Na2SO3 and 0.1 M Na2S solution exhibited 62.5 times higher photocurrent density than the TiO2 film. The composite film photoanode could make the potential of the coupled 403 stainless steel in a 0.5 M NaCl solution negatively shift by 490 mV, showing enhanced photoelectrochemical cathodic protection.

Functionalized carbon microfibers (biomass-derived) ornamented by Bi2S3 nanoparticles: an investigation on their microwave, magnetic, and optical characteristics

The biomass-derived materials emerged as novel, low-cost, green, and light-weight microwave absorbers. On the other hand, the sulfide nanostructures due to narrow band gap demonstrated significant dielectric features. In this research, the pure carbon microfibers were prepared using Erodium cicutarium harvest and they were functionalized by a sonochemistry method. The treated microfibers were coated by Bi2S3 nanoparticles, obtained by a novel modified solvothermal route. X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, diffuse reflection spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy, and vector network analyzer analyses were applied to characterize the features of the prepared structures. The obtained results manifest that the anchoring nanoparticles onto the functionalized microfibers narrowed band gap to 1.35 eV and reinforced polarizability of the nanocomposite, desirable for dielectric attenuation. In this study, the interfacial interactions were modulated using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyvinylidene fluoride. Interestingly, FCMF blended in PAN demonstrated an eye-catching efficient bandwidth as wide as 8.13 GHz (RL > 10 dB) with only 2.00 mm in thickness, whereas it illustrated an outstanding reflection loss of 81.96 at 11.48 GHz with a thickness of 2.50 mm. More significantly, FCMF/Bi2S3/PAN nanocomposite promoted the efficient bandwidth to 3.07 GHz (RL > 20 dB). Noteworthy, all of the samples illustrated total electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (SET) more than 15 dB entire the x and ku-band frequency.

Visible-light-driven 3D hierarchical Bi2S3/BiOBr hybrid structure for superior photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction

The most important approach to eliminate poisonous Cr(VI) from water utilizing visible-light photocatalytic activities is the reduction of highly toxic Cr(VI) to less harmful Cr(III). In this study, a facile one-pot homogenous precipitation method was designed for the first time to fabricate the heterojunction of Bi2S3/BiOBr. The hybrid structure was characterized using XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, TEM, UV–vis (DRS), XPS, and PL. The synthesized heterostructure confirmed the successful anchoring of Bi2S3 nanoparticles onto BiOBr nanosheets. The as-prepared Bi2S3/BiOBr hybrid structure exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance for the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) compared with pure BiOBr that confirmed by XPS analysis after 10 min. The hybrid structure of Bi2S3/BiOBr showed a superior rate constant 10 times higher than that for pure BiOBr. Moreover, the reduction efficiency of Cr(VI) solution containing 50 mg/L was improved up to 99.2% within 40 min by the addition of tartaric acid as a hole scavenger. The reduction efficiency of different photocatalysts towards Cr(VI) removal from the real sample was also examined. The Bi2S3/BiOBr hybrid structure can be reused after regeneration process without a significant loss in photoreaction behavior after four recycle runs.

Controlled hydrothermal synthesis and solar light photocatalysis properties of branched Bi2S3/TiO2 nano-heterostructure

In this work, we used two simple and inexpensive hydrothermal steps to synthesize Bi2S3 nanoflowers branched on TiO2 nanorod heterostructure. The nanoscale morphology of Bi2S3 deposited on TiO2 nanorods was optimized by controlling the hydrothermal growth temperature of bare Bi2S3 nanoparticles. Under solar lighting, the structural and optical properties, also the photocatalytic performance was systematically evaluated for the bare Bi2S3, bare TiO2 and Bi2S3/TiO2 heterostructures synthesized under optimized conditions. The Bi2S3/TiO2 heterostructures showed an enhanced visible-light absorption ability and photocatalytic efficiency comparing to bare TiO2. Photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements suggest that Bi2S3/TiO2 heterostructures promoted the separation of electron-hole pairs and then enhanced the photocatalytic degradation performance for organic pollutant. The prepared heterostructures showed great stability and reusability. It also displayed enhanced photocatalytic performance for MB degradation, presenting 90% removal efficiency for 240 min, under solar light irradiation. The improved photocatalytic performance was attributed to the large Bi2S3 nanowires branched like nanoflowers structure on TiO2 nanorod arrays. This performance has obviously led to a better separation of electron-hole pair and an improvement in the absorption of light in the visible-light region.

Enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of Bi2S3–TiO2 nanotube arrays hetero-structure under visible light irradiation

Constructing heterosystems by sensitizing a wide band gap semiconductor with a narrow band gap semiconductor is an effective way to improve photocatalytic performance. Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) has a direct band gap of 1.38 eV and shows great potential in capturing visible light, which makes it a good candidate for photocatatlytic applications. In this work, Bi2S3 nanoparticles were efficiently deposited on TiO2 nanotube arrays (Bi2S3-TNTAs) by sequential chemical bath deposition (CBD) method to enhance visible light response of the photocatalytic system. Notably, a high-throughput screening method of scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy (SPECM) was exploited to evaluate photoelectrochemical response of the as-prepared composites and to find out the optimized photocatatlytic system. The effects of Bi2S3 nanoparticles on visible light absorption and photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production rate of the TiO2-system were investigated in detail. When adopted as photoanode, the optimized heteroelectrode exhibited a more than 13-fold enhancement in hydrogen production rate. The result of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and photoluminescence (PL) shows that photo-generated charges excited under visible light in Bi2S3-TNTAs composites are efficiently separated, which gives rise to the superior photoelectrocatalytic performance of the Bi2S3-TNTAs photoanodes.

One-for-All Nanoplatform for Synergistic Mild Cascade-Potentiated Ultrasound Therapy Induced with Targeting Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy.

Ameliorated therapy based on the tumor microenvironment is becoming increasingly popular, yet only a few methods have achieved wide recognition. Herein, targeting multifunctional hydrophilic nanomicelles, AgBiS2@DSPE-PEG2000-FA (ABS-FA), were obtained and employed for tumor treatment. In a cascade amplification mode, ABS-FA exhibited favorable properties of actively enhancing computed tomography/infrared (CT/IR) imaging and gently relieving ambient oxygen concentration by cooperative photothermal and sonodynamic therapy. Compared with traditional Bi2S3 nanoparticles, the CT imaging capability of the probe was augmented (43.21%), and the photothermal conversion efficiency was increased (33.1%). Furthermore, remarkable ultrasonic dynamic features of ABS-FA were observed, with increased generation of reactive oxygen species (24.3%) being obtained compared to Ce6, a commonly used sonosensitizer. Furthermore, ABS-FA exhibited obvious inhibitory effects on HeLa cell migration at 6 μg/mL, which to some extent, demonstrated its suppressive effect on tumor growth. A lower dose, laser and ultrasonic power, and shorter processing time endowed ABS-FA with excellent photothermal and sonodynamic effects. By mild cascade mode, the hypoxic condition of the tumor site was largely improved, and a suitable oxygen-rich environment was provided, thereby endowing ABS-FA with a superior synergistically enhanced treatment effect compared with the single-mode approach, which ultimately realized the purpose of "one injection, multiple treatment". Moreover, our data showed that ABS-FA was given with a biological safety profile while harnessing in vivo. Taken together, as a synergistically enhanced medical diagnosis and treatment method, the one-for-all nanoplatform will pave a new avenue for further clinical applications.

Dual mode electrochemical-photoelectrochemical sensing platform for hydrogen sulfide detection based on the inhibition effect of titanium dioxide/bismuth tungstate/silver heterojunction

A novel dual mode sensing platform is constructed for highly selective detection of H2S, attributing to the efficient electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) signal responses of the TiO2/Bi2WO6/Ag heterojunction. On the one hand, TiO2/Bi2WO6/Ag heterojunction with excellent catalytic performance for the reduction of H2O2 could be employed act as a probe, providing a remarkable EC response through an amperometric i-t method. On the other hand, this hybrid provides a photoelectric beacon with a favorable energy-band configuration. More interestingly, the EC and PEC responses of the functionalized electrodes are proportionately decreased in response to the generation of Bi2S3 and Ag2S nanoparticles upon exposure to sulfide ions. The decreased EC and PEC signals could be ascribed to the poor catalytic properties and the recombination of photoexcited electron – hole pairs of the Bi2S3 and Ag2S. Under the optimal conditions, the dual mode sensor exhibits a wide linear response in the range from 0.5 μM to 300 μM with a detection limit of 0.08 μM for the detection of H2S. Enabled by this unique sensitization mechanism, the proposed sensing platform displays an excellent analytical performance with good selectivity, reproducibility and stability, which providing an alternative pathway of H2S detecting in practical application.

Morphological variations in Bi2S3 nanoparticles synthesized by using a single source precursor

A simple solvothermal decomposition of bismuth dithiocarbamate complex in oleylamine, oleic acid, and hexadecylamine at 180 °C, yielded bismuth sulphide nanomaterials of different morphologies represented as Bi2S3(OAm), Bi2S3(OAc) and Bi2S3(HDA) respectively. The bismuth complex, used as the single source precursor, was synthesized and characterised by elemental analysis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopic techniques. The spectroscopic and micro analysis confirmed the proposed compound, while the as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The effects of the different solvent media on the structural properties of the obtained Bi2S3 were investigated. An orthorhombic phase bismuthinite of varying intensities were obtained, with an indication that a bias of orientations existed in the (2 1 1) crystallographic planes in the Bi2S3(OAm) compared to the characteristic (1 3 0) diffraction peak of Bi2S3. The microscopic analysis showed a correlation between the nanoparticles' morphology and the type of solvent used, which also implied that the properties of Bi2S3 were affected by the solvent medium.

Photoelectrochemical Cathodic Protection Effect of Bi2S3/TiO2 nanorod Array Composite Film for Stainless Steel

TiO2 nanomaterials have long been a topic of interest for applications in various fields due to their special photoelectrochemical properties. However, there are some problems for practical applications of a pure TiO2 film. TiO2 can only be excited by ultraviolet light and its photoelectric conversion efficiency is low due to the high electron-hole recombination rate. In order to overcome these problems, many methods have been developed to modify TiO2 films for improving their photoelectrochemical properties. In this work, we fabricated a Bi2S3 modified rutile TiO2 nanorod array film on FTO conductive glass for achieving a good photoelectrochemical cathodic protection effect on 403 stainless steel (403SS) in a NaCl solution. A single crystalline rutile TiO2 nanorod array film was prepared by a typical hydrothermal reaction method. A FTO substrate (10 mm × 15 mm × 2.2 mm) was immersed in a TiCl4 solution and thermally treated in an electric oven at 70 ℃ for 30 min. After that, the FTO specimen was annealed at 550 ℃ in air for 1 h. Then the specimen with the TiO2 seed layer was immersed a mixed aqueous solution of TiCl4 and HCl, and heated in an electric oven at 150 ℃ for 10 h. Bi2S3 nanoparticles was prepared on the TiO2 film by a typical chemical bath deposition method. The TiO2 film sample was alternately immersed in the Bi(NO3)3 ethylene glycol solution and the Na2S aqueous solution for 1 min. After each immersion, the film sample was dried at 80 ℃ for 5 min. This operation cycle was repeated for 15 times. Finally, the film sample was annealed at 240 ℃ for 4 h in a N2 atmosphere. The prepared films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and their photoelectrochemical properties and photocathodic protection effects were investigated. The results indicated that the prepared TiO2 film was composed of the nanorod array. The TiO2 in the film was highly crystallized and agreed well with the rutile phase, and Bi2S3 nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the TiO2 film. The photoresponse of the Bi2S3/TiO2 composite film was extended into the visible light region, and its photoelectrochemical properties were enhanced. Under white light illumination, the Bi2S3/TiO2 composite film as a photoanode could make the potential of 403SS in a 0.5 M NaCl solution decrease by 695 mV (relative to its corrosion potential), showing a more effective photoelectrochemical cathodic protection effect than the pure rutile TiO2 nanorod film, which is of significance for environmentally friendly corrosion control of metals. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21573182, and 21173177).

Bi2S3 nanoparticles densely grown on electrospun-carbon-nanofibers as low-cost counter electrode for liquid-state solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) counter electrode (CE) is needed to have both good electrical conductivity and high catalytic activity, and composite materials are better meet these two requirements. In this work, Bi2S3/carbon nanofiber (CNFs) composites are synthesized by simple electrospinning and hydrothermal methods, and after optimization of the content of Bi2S3, the large amount Bi2S3 nanoparticles are grown densely on CNFs without agglomeration. Bi2S3/CNFs composites are first introduced into DSSCs as CE. The optimized Bi2S3/CNFs composites are of great electrochemical performance and obtain a photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.64 %, which is better than common used Pt CE (7.12 %). Thus Bi2S3/CNFs CE has great prospects based on low cost and simple fabrication process to develop Pt-free CEs which could accelerate the large-scale application of DSSCs.

A one-pot synthesis of multifunctional Bi2S3 nanoparticles and the construction of core-shell Bi2S3@Ce6-CeO2 nanocomposites for NIR-triggered phototherapy.

As a direct thin band gap n-type semiconductor, bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanomaterials possess great near-infrared (NIR)-triggered photothermal effects, photoacoustic (PA) and computed tomography (CT) imaging properties. Hence, Bi2S3 nanomaterials have become a research focal point in multiple domains, such as the construction of NIR-triggered nanosystems for cancer therapy. In this study, through a simple one-pot synthesis with the assistance of EDTA-2Na, we first obtained monodispersed spherical Bi2S3 of uniform particle sizes with fascinating photothermal and PA/CT imaging properties. Based on this, we introduced the photosensitizer Ce6 with photodynamic property and CeO2 with the O2-evolving characteristic, and thus designed a core-shell structure of the Bi2S3@Ce6-CeO2 nanocomposites (Bi2S3@Ce6-CeO2 NCs). The as-received Bi2S3@Ce6-CeO2 NCs exhibited a remarkable synergetic photothermal and photodynamic therapeutic effect both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating its promising potential for cancer treatments. In the long term, the multifunctional PA/CT properties of both Bi2S3 NPs and Bi2S3@Ce6-CeO2 NCs in this study also supply a novel Bi2S3-based platform for constructing integrated diagnosis and treatment platforms.

Accelerated separation of photogenerated charge carriers and enhanced photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4 by Bi2S3 nanoparticles

Employing photothermal conversion to improve the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 is rarely reported previously. Herein, different ratios of g-C3N4/Bi2S3 heterojunction materials are synthesized by a facile ultrasonic method. Advanced characterizations such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy are employed to analyze the morphology and structure of the prepared materials. Compared with sole counterparts, the heterojunction materials CN-BiS-2 exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance, which is 2.05-fold as g-C3N4 and 4.42-fold as Bi2S3. A possible degradation pathway of methylene blue (MB) was proposed. Based on the photoproduced high-energy electrons and photothermal effect of Bi2S3, the transfer and separation of electron-hole pairs are greatly enhanced and more active species are produced. In addition, the relatively high utilization efficiency of solar energy has synergistic effect for the better photocatalytic performance.

Excellent photoelectrochemical activity of Bi2S3 nanorod/TiO2 nanoplate composites with dominant {001} facets

In this work, {001} facets exposed TiO2 nanoplates were loaded with Bi2S3 nanorods. The resulting Bi2S3/TiO2 photocatalyst exhibits considerable improvement in photoelectrochemical H2 generation than pristine TiO2 nanoplates and Bi2S3 nanorods. The previous research mainly focused on the composite of Bi2S3 nanoparticles with rod-shaped TiO2, and utilized the advantage of large surface area of rod-shaped TiO2 to collect carriers. The advantage of this study is that Bi2S3 is supported on the {001} facets of TiO2 nanoplates, and the high-energy {001} facets and Bi2S3 are used to construct the heterojunction. The experimental results show that the Bi2S3/(001)TiO2 heterojunction has excellent photoelectrochemistry performance, and the photocurrent density of the composite photocatalyst is 20 times larger than that of the original TiO2, which is much higher than the 3–4 times of the literature. Experimental results confirm that {001} facets exposed TiO2 nanoplates are suitable for compositing with Bi2S3 to improve photoelectrochemical performance, which can be ascribed to the photoinduced carriers’ synergistic effect between TiO2 and Bi2S3. Thus, photo-generated electrons shift from the conduction band (CB) of Bi2S3 nanorods to the CB of TiO2 nanoplates after photo excitation, while photo-generated holes shift from the valence band (VB) of TiO2 nanoplates to the VB of Bi2S3 nanorods. Here, we demonstrate the significance of semiconductors composites in the improvement of photocatalysts.

TiO2 nanotube arrays decorated with Au and Bi2S3 nanoparticles for efficient Fe3+ ions detection and dye photocatalytic degradation

Due to increasingly serious environmental problems, many researchers are investigating green clean-energy to solve the world's energy supply issues. So the strategy that Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) and bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) NPs are used to evenly decorate TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTAs) was carried out. Composite materials demonstrated enhanced solar light absorption ability and excellent photoelectrochemical performance. This was attributed to the presence of Bi2S3 NPs with a narrow band gap and the decoration with noble metallic Au NPs which resulted in local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects. The Au/Bi2S3@TiO2 NTAs composites exhibit improved photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under irradiation of UV and visible light. Moreover, the Au/Bi2S3@TiO2 NTAs exhibits high fluorescence emission at 822 nm. Due to the better binding affinity between Bi2S3, TiO2 and Fe3+ ions, the synthesized nanocomposites exhibit high selectivity to Fe3+ ions. The number of binding sites for Au/Bi2S3@TiO2 NTAs was estimated to be 1.41 according to the double logarithmic regression method. The calculated value of “K” was 1862 M−1. Fluorescence emission intensity decreases with increasing concentration (30 μM–5000 μM). The detection limit of the synthesized sensor is 0.221 μM.

APPLICATION AND EVALUATION THE EFFECT OF METALIC NANOPARTICLES ON METRONIDAZOLE PERFORMANCE AS A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY

Objective: The scope of this study is to evaluate the influence of metal nanoparticles application on pharmaceutical properties and biologic activity of antifungal drug, metronidazole (MTZ). Method: Metal nanoparticles used in the study, bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) used as the nanocarriers for metronidazole (MTZ) and they were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. Drug loading on Bi2S3 nanoparticles, lattice property alteration and average particles sizes were evaluated using fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy(AFM), and powder x-ray diffraction(PXRD). The evaluation of the release of MTZ from Bi2S3 nanoparticles was carried out using USP type II rotating puddle apparatus. The antimicrobial activity of MTZ before and after loading was carried out by disc diffusion method against two aerobic gram +ve and one aerobic gram –ve bacteria, in addition to two fungi. Result: This study showed successful loading process as well as particles size reduction of MTZ after loading on Bi2S3 nanoparticles. In vitro release study showed significant* increase in solubility and dissolution of MTZ after loading on Bi2S3 nanoparticles. MTZ showed significant* increase in antibacterial (against gram +ve aerobic staphylococcus aureus and bacillus subtilis) and antifungal (Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis) activities after loading process. Conclusion: Nanotechnology was applied successfully to improve both, solubility and biologic activity of the model drug used, metronidazole (MTZ).

ZnO nanorod arrays modified with Bi2S3 nanoparticles as cathode for efficient polymer solar cells

Abstract The surface modification of zinc oxide nanorod arrays (ZnO NRAs) is an effective way to improve electrical coupling between ZnO NRAs and organic active layer, and can decrease the surface defects of ZnO NRAs. In this work, ZnO NRAs grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates are decorated with bismuth trisulphide (Bi2S3) nanoparticles using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) at room temperature. The resulted ZnO/Bi2S3 core-shell NRAs are characterized by using different measurement techniques. SEM and TEM images confirm the homogeneous coverage of Bi2S3 nanoparticles on the surface of ZnO NRAs. XPS and PL spectra demonstrate that surface defects of ZnO NRAs modified with 0.2 mM Bi2S3 nanoparticles are effectively reduced. XRD spectra show the modification of the ZnO NRAs surface with Bi2S3 can enhances the crystallinity of the active layer and ZnO NRAs, which will improve the absorption of sunlight, and help for the charge transfer in solar cells. Finally, hybrid solar cells with the structure of ITO/ZnO/Bi2S3/P3HT:PC71BM (or PTB7:PC71BM)/MoO3/Ag are for the first time fabricated. The solar cells based on the ZnO/0.2 mM Bi2S3 core-shell NRAs with P3HT:PC71BM as active layer exhibit the nice performance with Jsc, Voc, FF and η values equal to 9.51 ± 0.09 mA/cm2, 0.61 ± 0.01 V, 61.6 ± 0.6%, and 3.57 ± 0.05%, respectively. Besides, the PCE of the device based on the ZnO/0.2 mM Bi2S3 core-shell NRAs with PTB7:PC71BM is improved to 6.35% from 4.88% of the reference device without Bi2S3 coated. Increase of electrical coupling between ZnO NRAs and organic active layer and decline of the surface defects of ZnO NRAs lead to the performance improvement of devices with ZnO/Bi2S3 core-shell NRAs, which implies that ZnO/Bi2S3 core-shell NRAs made by SILAR method are promising electron transport materials in solar cells.

PP#137 - In vitro studies of Bi2S3 nanoparticles as radiosensitizer in MCF7 cells

PP#137 - In vitro studies of Bi2S3 nanoparticles as radiosensitizer in MCF7 cells

Economical synthesis of ultra-small Bi2S3 nanoparticles for high-sensitive CT imaging

Ultra-small Bi2S3 nanoparticles are potential contrast agents for high-sensitive CT imaging. However, the expensive and harmful synthesis process limited their further application. Herein, an economical and low-toxic process was developed by employing S powders as sulfur precursors for large-scale preparation of ultra-small Bi2S3 nanoparticles. The as-prepared ultra-small Bi2S3 nanoparticles were modified with amine-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to produce water-soluble contrast agents. In vitro experiment results suggested that the ultra-small Bi2S3-PEG nanoparticles were low cytotoxic and superior contrast agents. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the ultra-small Bi2S3-PEG nanoparticles were preferred contrast agents for long-term and high-sensitive CT imaging.