Catalytic and anti-cancer properties of platinum, gold, silver, and bimetallic Au-Ag nanoparticles synthesized by Bacillus sp. bacteria.

Metallic nanoparticles play a significant role in the catalysis of chemical processes, besides, bimetallic nanoparticles with abundant active sites can reduce metallic nanoparticles toxicity in addition to increasing their catalytic performances. In this work, the platinum, gold, and silver nanoparticles are bio-synthesized using a native bacterium (GFCr-4). Also, the Au-Ag and Au@Ag bimetallic nanoparticles with alloy and core-shell structures, respectively, are biologically synthesized. To improve the synthesis, the effects of various factors like pH, temperature, electron donor, and ionic liquids were investigated. The as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with different techniques. The microscope images and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis confirm the uniform distribution of as-synthesized nanoparticles with average sizes of 25, 30, 47, 77, and 86 nm obtained for Ag, Au, Pt, Au-Ag alloy, and Au@Ag core-shell, respectively. The catalytic performances of as-synthesized nanoparticles were investigated. The Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles exhibit better catalytic performance than the as-synthesized metallic Au nanoparticles, according to the Gewald reaction. According to the photocatalytic study, the yield can be increased by up to 92% by using PtNPs in the presence of a green LED. Additionally, for the first time, PtNPs were utilized as an effective catalyst in a peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (POCL) system in the presence of nuclear fast red (NFR) as a novel fluorophore. In addition, the results of the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay revealed that the synthesized eco-friendly nanoparticles have a low effect on the lethality of 3T3 normal cells whereas MCF-7 cancer cells were inhibited up to 77.3% after treatment by PtNPs nanoparticles.

Nanostructured Li2S Cathodes for Silicon-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are regarded as an advantageous option for meeting the growing demand for high-energy-density storage, but their commercialization relies on solving the current limitations of both sulfur cathodes and lithium metal anodes. In this scenario, the implementation of lithium sulfide (Li2S) cathodes compatible with alternative anode materials such as silicon has the potential to alleviate the safety concerns associated with lithium metal. In this direction, here, we report a sulfur cathode based on Li2S nanocrystals grown on a catalytic host consisting of CoFeP nanoparticles supported on tubular carbon nitride. Nanosized Li2S is incorporated into the host by a scalable liquid infiltration-evaporation method. Theoretical calculations and experimental results demonstrate that the CoFeP-CN composite can boost the polysulfide adsorption/conversion reaction kinetics and strongly reduce the initial overpotential activation barrier by stretching the Li-S bonds of Li2S. Besides, the ultrasmall size of the Li2S particles in the Li2S-CoFeP-CN composite cathode facilitates the initial activation. Overall, the Li2S-CoFeP-CN electrodes exhibit a low activation barrier of 2.56 V, a high initial capacity of 991 mA h gLi2S-1, and outstanding cyclability with a small fading rate of 0.029% per cycle over 800 cycles. Moreover, Si/Li2S full cells are assembled using the nanostructured Li2S-CoFeP-CN cathode and a prelithiated anode based on graphite-supported silicon nanowires. These Si/Li2S cells demonstrate high initial discharge capacities above 900 mA h gLi2S-1 and good cyclability with a capacity fading rate of 0.28% per cycle over 150 cycles.