ZnS Nanoparticles Research Articles

Optimized synthesis, structural and electrical enhancement of Zinc sulfide nanoparticles for electrochemical sensor applications

A potentiostat with three electrode configurations was used to conduct electrochemical experiments on the successfully produced zinc sulfide nanoparticles. The results of the X-ray diffraction investigation showed that ZnS is polycrystalline and has a rhombohedral system. Using a well-known Williamson-Hall analysis, the average values of mean crystallite size and microstrain were found to be 1.56 nm and 3.7 × 10−2, respectively. The visible part of the photoluminescence spectrum of ZnS showed a noticeable emission peak at around 620 nm that was ascribed to the forbidden energy gap that gives rise to the electron-hole pair in ZnS. The FT-IR spectrum also revealed the structure of ZnS nanoparticles. A thermogravimetry graphic was used to prove ZnS's thermal stability. Energy dispersive spectroscopy coupled with transmission electron microscopy was used to verify the stoichiometry of ZnS, and the results show a roughly stoichiometric structure. With the aid of this electrode, ZnS@Ni, ethanol, and water could be found in both mediums. The electrochemical behavior of ZnS with varied concentrations of methanol on media was displayed by the Cyclic Voltammetry. Here, ZnS performs even with low methanol levels. As the methanol concentration was raised, the electrochemical peak raised. Additionally, ZnS's cyclic voltammetry demonstrated distinct feature peaks that might be used in fuel cell-type sensor applications. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to validate ZnS's capacity to make a wide variety of physical and electrochemical systems. Herein devised efficient ZnS -based electrochemical sensor for methanol detection is cost-efficient with the perspective of being scaled-up for point-of-care sensors required for monitoring methanol from environmental experiments.

Application of Cypermethrin-Coated ZnS and ZnO Nanoparticles against Rhipicephalus Ticks.

Rhipicephalus ticks are described as important ticks impacting the costs of livestock rearing and by-products sale. The prevalence and response of ticks towards cypermethrin sprays indicate the need to implement the rational use of acaricides. In our previous studies, ZnO nanoparticles were shown to inhibit the major life-cycle stages of Hyalomma ticks, indicative of promising application of nanomaterials against the hard ticks. The current study was designed to probe into one of alternative options to curtail Rhipicephalus ticks by employing cypermethrin-coated nanoparticles of ZnO (C-ZnO NPs) and ZnS (C-ZnS NPs). The nanocomposites showed a roughly spherical type of morphology and various size dimensions upon characterization using SEM and EDX. Female ovipositioning was declined up to only 48% in ZnS and up to 32% in ZnO NPs even after 28 days in vitro. Similarly, the larval hatching was also impacted, leading to a hatching percentage of 21% and 15% by application of C-ZnS NPs and C-ZnO NPs, respectively. The LC90 in female adult groups were 3.94 mg/L and 4.27 mg/L for the C-ZnO NPs and C-ZnS NPs groups, respectively. Similarly, the larval groups had LC90 of 8.63 and 8.95 mg/L for the C-ZnO NPs and C-ZnS NPs groups. The study is a proof of the concept for incorporating effective and safe nanocomposites as acaricides. The studies on the efficacy and spectrum of non-target effects of nanomaterial-based acaricides can further refine the research on finding novel alternatives for tick control.

Porous ZnS/MXene Ti3C2 nanocomposite with a terrific photocatalytic ability for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation

Porous ZnS/MXene Ti3C2 nanocomposite was synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. MXene Ti3C2 with a unique layered structure was used as cocatalyst. ZnS/MXene Ti3C2 nanocomposite was utilized for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). The photodegradation efficiency of TCH were 96% during 60 min under simulated sunlight irradiation. The opened 2D space of MXene Ti3C2 was suitable for ZnS nanoparticles dispersion, which obtained a mesoporous nanocomposite with plenty of heterostructure interfaces. At the same time, the good electron transfer efficiency of MXene Ti3C2 could also provide the high-speed channel through the numerous intimate heterostructure interfaces. Meanwhile, ZnS/MXene Ti3C2 nanocomposite could still maintain a good stability after three cycles. It was significant that ZnS/MXene Ti3C2 nanocomposite achieved an excellent separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers via constructing heterojunction. It proved that porous ZnS/MXene Ti3C2 nanocomposite as a mesoporous superior photocatalyst was an effective and potential photocatalyst for antibiotic degradation.

The rapid and sensitive detection of trace copper ions by L-cysteine capped ZnS nanoparticle fluorescent probe and the insight into micro-mechanism: Experiments and DFT study.

L-cysteine (L-Cys) capped ZnS fluorescent probe (L-ZnS) were synthesized by binding ZnS nanoparticles in situ with L-Cys, the fluorescence intensity of L-ZnS increased more than 3.5 times than that of ZnS due to the cleavage of S-H bonds and the formation of Zn-S bonds between the thiol group of L-Cys and ZnS. The addition of copper ions (Cu2+) can effectively quench the fluorescence of L-ZnS to realize the rapid detection of trace Cu2+. The L-ZnS showed high sensitivity and selectivity to Cu2+. The LOD (limit of detection) of Cu2+ was as low as 7.28nM and linearity in the concentration range of 3.5-25.5μM. Meanwhile, for the first time, electron localization function (ELF), bond order density (BOD), and natural adaptive orbital (NAdO) analysis in the Multiwfn wavefunction program based on density functional theory were carried out to probe the binding sites and binding mode of L-Cys with Cu2+, it indicated that the deprotonated carboxyl oxygen atoms of L-Cys had the lowest electrostatic potential (ESP) and provided lone pair electrons to coordinate with Cu2+ to form non-luminescent ground state complexes, which led to fluorescence quenching of L-ZnS. From the microscopic point of view of atoms, the mechanism of fluorescence enhancement of L-Cys capped ZnS and the mechanism of fluorescence quenching after adding Cu2+ were revealed in depth, the theoretical analysis results were accordance with the experiments.

Nanoemulsion‐directed assembly of hierarchical ZnS@C nanospheres with penetrating pores for sodium storage

AbstractTo follow up on the performance of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), transition metal sulfides (TMSs) have been developed as promising carbon alternatives for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). Although attractive, it is still a great challenge to fulfill their capacity utilization with high cycling performance. Herein, a nanoemulsion‐directed method has been developed to control the spherical arrangement of ZnS@C units with both penetrating macropores from the center to the surface and inner mesopores distributed among the bulks. With respect to ion diffusion, the penetrating macropores could serve as the built‐in ion‐buffer reservoirs to keep a steady flow of electrolyte, while the inner mesopores facilitate the ion diffusion across the whole bulks. In terms of stability, the radical porous structure could work as self‐supported vertical bones to accommodate the volume change from both lateral and vertical sides. Besides, the localized carbon distributed among the ZnS nanoparticles not only acts as binding agents to join the numerous ZnS nanoparticles but also endows the radical bones with effective electron transmission capability. As a proof of concept, such hydrangea‐like ZnS@C nanospheres deliver sodium storage performance with high‐rate and long‐cycling capability. This nanoemulsion‐directed approach is anticipated for other TMSs with penetrating pores for post‐lithium‐ion batteries applications.

Structure-property relationship of zeolite-Y/cubic ZnS nanohybrid material and its utilization for gaseous phase mercury removal

Zinc acetate dihydrate and thiourea based metal sulfide was synthesized and used to develop zeolite-ZnS (ZY-ZnS) nanohybrid material by using sonication process, solvothermal method and heat treatment process. The sulfur atom in thiourea is involved in formation of metal sulfide and ethylene glycol was used as solvents in the solvothermal method. The structure of the nanohybrid material was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD and XPS. Raman spectra confirmed the presence of 4, 6- membered rings of zeolite and polar modes A1 and E1 and nonpolar mode E2 of ZnS nanoparticles. The morphology of the nanohybrid material was analyzed by TEM and SEM analysis. The uniform distribution of ZnS in the zeolite matrix was observed in TEM and SEM morphology. The spherical aggregates ZnS crystals size between 100 and 200 nm were observed. Cubical morphology was observed in pure zeolite samples in the range of 400 nm−500 nm. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was used to confirm the metal-sulfide species in the hybrid material. Mercury adsorption (elemental (Hg°)) in the vapor phase follows both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Kinetic study shows that the mercury adsorption on the zeolite-ZnS nanohybrid adsorbent was mostly regulated by the chemisorption. Vapor phase mercury adsorption capacity of zeolite-Y (ZY) and zeolite-ZnS (ZY-ZnS), is 2295 and 3461 µg/g at 180 °C, respectively. In ZY and ZY-ZnS the intraparticle diffusion rates were 86.1 and 141.2 μg/gmin-1/2, respectively. The higher intraparticle diffusion rate observed in ZY-ZnS confirm the uniformly decorated ZnS nano particles in ZY-ZnS nanohybrid material.

Enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of fabricated ZnS nanoparticles in the photodegradation of methylene blue

This paper first aims to synthesize and characterize ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) by the hydrothermal method. The synthesized NPs are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Thiosemicarbazide/Zinc acetate dehydrate/ Ethylenediamine/Deionized water are utilized as precursors with three molar ratios and labeled as S1 = 2:1:1:1, S2 = 2:1:1:3 and S3 = 1:2:2:2, respectively. The synthesized pure ZnS NPs under UV irradiation present a higher photodegradation rate in comparison with the existing pure and doped ZnS-based ZnS. The direct optical bandgap of S1, S2 and S3 are estimated by the DRS method and approved by the Tauc method as 3.29 eV, 3.38 eV and 3.37 eV, respectively. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized pure NPs (S1, S2 and S3) are calculated to be 0.044, 0.036 and 0.050 min−1, respectively. The results indicate the significant effect of precursors on the crystallite phase, optical bandgap and photocatalytic activity of the ZnS NPs so that in comparison with other studies, they could be an effective candidate in the field of photodegradation of the organic dyes.

Cadmium ions mediated turn-on electrogenerated chemiluminescence of ZnS nanoparticles for highly selective cadmium detection in seafood

Cd2+ is one of the most toxic heavy metal ions that can be easily accumulated in human body via food chain. Thus, the onsite detection of Cd2+ in food is very important. However, present methods for Cd2+ detection either require the use of large equipment, or suffer from the severe interference from other analogical metal ions. This work establishes a facile Cd2+ mediated turn-on ECL method for highly selective detection of Cd2+ via cation exchanging with the nontoxic ZnS nanoparticles, owing to the unique surface-state ECL properties of CdS nanomaterials. The linear range of the calibration curve is from 7.0 × 10−8 to 1.0 × 10−6 M, while other analogical metal ions do not interfere, facilitating the selective detection of Cd2+ in oyster samples. The result agrees well with that obtained using atomic emission spectroscopy, indicating the potential for wider application of this approach.

Electrochemical sensing of carcinogenic p-dimethylamino antipyrine using sensor comprised of eco-friendly MoS2 nanosheets encapsulated by PVA capped Mn doped ZnS nanoparticle

Electrochemical sensing of carcinogenic p-dimethylamino antipyrine using sensor comprised of eco-friendly MoS2 nanosheets encapsulated by PVA capped Mn doped ZnS nanoparticle

Evaluation of structural, optical, and scintillation characteristics of Ag activated ZnS nanoparticles

The ZnS nanoparticles activated with various concentrations of Ag and co-activated with Cl ions were synthesized hydrothermally and sintered under controlled environment at 960 °C. The transition from cubic to hexagonal phase and presence of some fraction of ZnO were detected with powders X-rays diffraction (PXRD) and confirmed by energy dispersive X-rays (EDX) analysis as well. An increase in particle sized from ∼450 nm to ∼700 nm was observed with increase in Ag doping concentration in the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles. The optical band gap was found lower for the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles as compared to the reported optical band gap for ZnS, which can be assigned to defect states. Emission bands peaking at ∼2.68 eV and 2.35 eV were observed due to the characteristics ZnS, and ZnO luminescence, respectively. A significant improvement in the emission intensity by about 2.3 orders of magnitude with increase in Ag doping concentration were observed as compared to pristine ZnS nanoparticles. For the samples having higher concentrations of O atoms the quenching in luminescence intensity were found which can be assigned to the trapping of charge carriers by O defects states. The scintillation light yield enhanced with increase in Ag doping concentration and showed similar quenching behavior as observed for photoluminescence. A faster decay time response with suppression of afterglow were observed for ZnS nanoparticles as compared to commercial micron size ZnS phosphors.

Highly efficient and selective Hg(II) adsorbent: ZnS grown on the surface of 4A zeolite and supported on starch aerogels

In this study, ZnS nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of zeolite NaA and embedded in a carbon aerogel to prepare C@zeolite-ZnS, where zeolite NaA was used in order to adsorb Zn2+ ions released during ion exchange, and the carbon aerogel had good dispersion as a carrier for ZnS to solve the ZnS agglomeration problem. The morphology and structure of C@zeolite-ZnS were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, BET, and XPS. C@zeolite-ZnS showed excellent selectivity and high removal rate for Hg(II) ions with a maximum adsorption capacity of 795.83 mg/g. When the pH, adsorption time, and Hg(II) ion concentration were 6, 30 min, and 25 mg/L at 298 K, the corresponding adsorption and removal rates reached 99.90% and 124.88 mg/g, respectively. Thermodynamic studies have shown that the adsorption process is a spontaneous heat absorption process. Furthermore, after up to 10 cycles of adsorption, the adsorbent still exhibited outstanding stability and high adsorption capacity with removal rates exceeding 99%. In conclusion, C@zeolite-ZnS, which is stable and reusable and has the ability to meet industrial emission standards after adsorption of Hg(II) ions, is very promising for industrial applications.

Fe3O4@MIL-100(Fe) modified ZnS nanoparticles with enhanced sonocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotic in water

Sonocatalysis has attracted excellent research attention to eradicate hazardous pollutants from the environment effectively. This work synthesised an organic/inorganic hybrid composite catalyst by coupling Fe3O4@MIL-100(Fe) (FM) with ZnS nanoparticles using the solvothermal evaporation method. Remarkably, the composite material delivered significantly enhanced sonocatalytic efficiency for removing tetracycline (TC) antibiotics in the presence of H2O2 compared to bare ZnS nanoparticles. By adjusting different parameters such as TC concentration, catalyst dosage and H2O2 amount, the optimized composite (20 %Fe3O4@MIL-100(Fe)/ZnS) removed 78.25% antibiotic in 20 min at the cost of 1 mL of H2O2. These much superior activities are attributed to the efficient interface contact, effective charge transfer, accelerated transport capabilities and strong redox potential for the superior acoustic catalytic performance of FM/ZnS composite systems. Based on various characterization, free radical capture experiments and energy band structures, we proposed a mechanism for the sonocatalytic degradation of tetracycline based on S-scheme heterojunctions and Fenton like reactions. This work will provide an important reference for developing ZnS-based nanomaterials to study sonodegradation of pollutants.

Single-bubble sonoluminescence of aqueous suspensions of ZnS or Tb(acac)3·H2O nanoparticles

Aqueous suspensions of nanoparticles (below 50 nm in size) of ZnS or Tb(acac)3·H2O crystals were prepared by dispersion under multibubble sonolysis. Single-bubble sonoluminescence (SL) of these colloidal suspensions in an ultrasonic standing wave was found. For a ZnS suspension, the SL spectrum of a bubble moving at acoustic pressure pa = 1.29 bar, recorded with 12 nm resolution, exhibited a ZnS band with a maximum at 470 nm against the background of a wide continuum of bubble luminescence (200–700 nm). At a resolution of 1.2 nm, numerous lines of atomic (Zn, S) and ionic (S+, S2+, S3+) emitters were present in the 270–670 nm range. For a Tb(acac)3 suspension at 12 nm resolution, Tb3+ quasilines were detected at 488, 544, 585, and 618 nm (5D4 – 7Fj transitions, j = 6,5,4,3). At 1.2 nm resolution, no terbium atomic lines were found. The ZnS band and Tb3+ quasilines were present, although with a lower intensity (at a constant continuum intensity), in the SL spectra of suspensions for a stationary (pa = 1.07 bar) bubble. The atomic emitter lines for a stationary bubble were absent in the spectra of both suspensions. The ZnS band and Tb3+ quasilines in the SL spectra were similar to those in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. However, the spectrum of a moving bubble in a Tb(acac)3 suspension differed from the PL spectrum in the relative intensities of the quasilines for some transitions. It was concluded that a non-equilibrium plasma was ignited in a stationary or moving bubble in suspensions under periodic compression of its gas content. This was the main source of luminescence during sonolysis, which was observed as thermal emission bursts in a plasma with a spectral continuum. In addition, sonophotoluminescence was generated as re-emission of the continuum luminescence partially absorbed by nanoparticles in suspensions; this occurred as flashes of ZnS or Tb3+ characteristic luminescence. Additionally, for a moving bubble, there was luminescence of these emitters associated with the entry of nanoparticles into the bubble and the collisional excitation of emitters in the plasma. In the case of a ZnS suspension, there was luminescence of atomic emitters (Zn, S) that formed upon decomposition and excitation of fragments of the initial emitter (ZnS) in a bubble plasma. The absence of a similar component in the SL spectrum of the Tb(acac)3 suspension may be attributable to low efficiency of the collisional excitation of terbium atoms, which were undoubtedly formed upon decomposition of nanoparticles in a bubble plasma. The emitters and mechanisms of the studied single-bubble sonoluminescence in colloidal suspensions were compared with those for the previously considered (J. Luminescence. 252 (2022) 119389) multibubble sonotriboluminescence in non-colloidal suspensions of ZnS or Tb(acac)3·H2O crystals.

Effect of Li+ concentration on the structural and optical properties of chemically synthesized ZnS nanoparticles

ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) with different concentrations of Li-doping (0, 2.5, 4.5, 6.5, and 10.5 %) were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. Crystalline structure, surface morphologies, and optical properties were studied in detail. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirmed the cubic phase of un-doped and Li doped-ZnS NPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and HRTEM images showed that un-doped and Li-doped ZnS NPs contain agglomerated particles, and agglomeration is increased by increasing Li-doping. Different vibration modes are observed in a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) analysis. Defects are observed in the photoluminescence spectra (PL) of un-doped and Li-doped ZnS NPs, and a dominant green-orange transition is observed. Absorption studies using UV–vis spectroscopy reveal a quantum confinement effect for un-doped and Li- doped ZnS NPs. The direct band gap energy (Egp) increased with increasing Li concentration in the range of 3.728–3.875 eV.

Effect of interchangeable proportions of ZnS and NiO nanoparticles on the optoelectronic and laser CUT-OFF filters properties of CMC/PVP blend

Carboxy-methyl cellulose (CMC)/ polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/(1 − x)NiO–xZnS (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) polymer blends were prepared using casting, sol–gel and solid state reaction methods. X-ray diffraction technique was used to determine the structure and crystallite size of the nanofillers. The crystalline feature of the blends and the nanofillers over the blends matrix were examined using the XRD technique. FTIR was used to confirm the formation of the blends. The effect of the interchangeable proportions of nanoparticles on the optoelectronic properties of the blends was examined using Wemple and DiDomenico model. The transmitted intensity is investigated with lasers at three different wavelengths. A reduction in transmittance makes the studied material promising as attenuating filters at doping levels starting from 75% NiO or less and 25% of ZnS and more even if at relatively high laser powers.

ZnS nanoparticles: role of Ga3+ ions substitution on the structural, morphological, optical, and dielectric properties

Due to their dynamic features, nanoparticles of semiconductor materials have been created rapidly in the past few decades and are being investigated for potential uses in a variety of disciplines. The present study focuses on the substitution of Ga3+ ions in ZnS nanoparticles to modify their structural, morphological, compositional, optical, and dielectric properties. The Ga-doped (ZnS:Ga) nanoparticles for various Ga3+ ions concentrations (i.e., 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% & 12%) are synthesized using direct co-precipitation technique and utilizing precursor solutions of Zn(CH3COO)2, Na2S and Ga2(SO4)3 along with EDTA as a stabilizing agent. The structural analysis reveals that the synthesized nanoparticles exhibit a cubic crystal structure with high crystallinity and preferred (111) orientation. Fluctuations in different structural parameters have been noticed without any alteration in crystal structure after the substitution of Ga ions in ZnS matrix. The surface morphology exposes spherical-shaped ZnS:Ga nanoparticles whose compactness varies with doping concentrations. FT-IR and EDS spectra of the nanoparticles identify the presence of different functional groups and elements in the expected compositions. A blueshift in the absorption edge has been observed for all the concentrations of ZnS:Ga w.r.t. pristine ZnS indicating quantum confinement in the synthesized nanoparticles which further results in the broadening of optical bandgap in comparison to bulk value for ZnS. The room temperature dielectric measurements for ZnS:Ga nanoparticles show a high dielectric constant value up to doping level 8% beyond which it decreased. The ac conductivity values in this study varied from 10−4 Ω−1m−1 for pristine to 9.66 × 10−3 Ω−1m−1 for ZnS:Ga 12%.

High power aqueous hybrid asymmetric supercapacitor based on zero-dimensional ZnS nanoparticles with two-dimensional nanoflakes CuSe2 nanostructures

Energy storage materials, particularly chalcogenides, are fascinating electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs) because of their high capacitance, remarkable electrical conductivity, and multiple oxidation states contributed by numerous metal cations. Herein, a novel nanocomposite based on zinc sulfide and copper diselenide, denoted as (ZnS–CuSe2), was prepared via a sonochemical-assisted method. The structural analysis revealed the cubic structure for pure ZnS, orthorhombic for CuSe2, and co-existing cubic and orthorhombic phases for ZnS–CuSe2 nanocomposites with high purity and crystallinity. The ZnS–CuSe2 nanocomposite offered exceptional electrochemical performance with redox peaks from the CV analysis, and coupled with plateaus in the charge/discharge profile, confirming the faradaic energy storage properties with functional reversibility. Similarly, a high conductive feature of the ZnS–CuSe2 composite was revealed by impedance study, with a minor charge transfer resistance than their bulk materials. A hybrid asymmetric supercapacitor (HASCs) composed of ZnS–CuSe2//AC was constructed, which manifested an enlarged voltage window up to 1.7 V with capacitance of 95 F g−1 and a maximum specific energy of 38 Wh kg−1. Also, high power delivery was attained at 3927 Wkg-1 when specific energy goes down to 12 Wh kg− at 5 A g−1. Interestingly, only 81.8% retention was left beneath when cycled to 8000 cycles, specifying decent stability of the ZnS–CuSe2//AC HASCs.

Mesocrystalline ZnS nanoparticles-augmented sonocatalytic full water splitting into H2/O2 for immunoactivating deep tumor

Therapeutic gas molecules have high tissue penetrability, but their sustainable supply and controlled release in deep tumor is a huge challenge. In this work, a concept of sonocatalytic full water splitting for hydrogen/oxygen immunotherapy of deep tumor is proposed, and a new kind of ZnS nanoparticles with a mesocrystalline structure (mZnS) is developed to achieve highly efficient sonocatalytic full water splitting for sustainable supply of H2 and O2 in tumor, achieving a high efficacy of deep tumor therapy. Mechanistically, locally generated hydrogen and oxygen molecules exhibit a tumoricidal effect as well as the co-immunoactivation of deep tumors through inducing the M2-to-M1 repolarization of intratumoral macrophages and the tumor hypoxia relief-mediated activation of CD8+ T cells, respectively. The proposed sonocatalytic immunoactivation strategy will open a new window to realize safe and efficient treatment of deep tumors.

Possible Interaction between ZnS Nanoparticles and Phosphonates on Mediterranean Clams Ruditapes decussatus.

This study aims to evaluate the toxicity of ZnS nanoparticles (ZnS NP50 = 50 µg/L and ZnS NP100 = 100 µg/L) and diethyl (3-cyano-1-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropyl)phosphonate or P (P50 = 50 µg/L and P100 = 100 µg/L) in the clams Ruditapes decussatus using chemical and biochemical approaches. The results demonstrated that clams accumulate ZnS NPs and other metallic elements following exposure. Moreover, ZnS NPs and P separately lead to ROS overproduction, while a mixture of both contaminants has no effect. In addition, data showed that exposure to P100 resulted in increased levels of oxidative stress enzyme activities catalase (CAT) in the gills and digestive glands. A similar trend was also observed in the digestive glands of clams treated with ZnS100. In contrast, CAT activity was decreased in the gills at the same concentration. Exposure to ZnS100 and P100 separately leads to a decrease in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels in both gills and digestive glands. Thus, AChE and CAT after co-exposure to an environmental mixture of nanoparticles (ZnS100) and phosphonate (P100) did not show any differences between treated and non-treated clams. The outcome of this work certifies the use of biomarkers and chemical assay when estimating the effects of phosphonate and nanoparticles as part of an ecotoxicological assessment program. An exceptional focus was given to the interaction between ZnS NPs and P. The antioxidant activity of P has been demonstrated to have an additive effect on metal accumulation and antagonistic agents against oxidative stress in clams treated with ZnS NPs.

Hydrogen evolution properties: Cr doping and V co-doping effect of ZnS nanoparticles

In this study, the effects of Cr doping and V co-doping on the hydrogen (H2) evolution properties of ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) were evaluated. An economical and facile hydrothermal method was used to synthesize ZnS, Zn0.99Cr0.01S, Zn0.98V0.01Cr0.01S, and Zn0.97V0.02Cr0.01S NPs. All the samples exhibited a cubic structure with effective Cr doping and V co-doping in the parent ZnS lattice. The variable bandgap of ZnS was engineered by Cr doping and V co-doping. Therefore, blue emission with a diminished fluorescence efficiency was achieved for the ZnS system by doping and co-doping. The Zn0.97V0.02Cr0.01S system showed the highest H2 evolution potential (12098 µmol h−1g−1) in 5 h under artificial solar illumination. Thus, V co-doping enriched the H2 production capacity of the ZnS:Cr system.