Chemistry & Biology
Volume 11, Issue 11, November 2004, Pages 1553-1559
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Article
Bacterial Biosynthesis of Cadmium Sulfide Nanocrystals

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2004.08.022Get rights and content
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Abstract

Semiconductor nanocrystals, which have unique optical and electronic properties, have potential for applications in the emerging field of nanoelectronics. To produce nanocrystals cheaply and efficiently, biological methods of synthesis are being explored. We found that E. coli, when incubated with cadmium chloride and sodium sulfide, have the capacity to synthesize intracellular cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystals. The nanocrystals are composed of a wurtzite crystal phase with a size distribution of 2–5 nm. Nanocrystal biosynthesis increased about 20-fold in E. coli cells grown to stationary phase compared to late logarithmic phase. Our results highlight how different genetic and physiological parameters can enhance the formation of nanocrystals within bacterial cells.

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Present address: Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Division of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massacusetts 02139.