Bacterial synthesis of PbS nanocrystallites in one-step with l-cysteine serving as both sulfur source and capping ligand

The green bacterial biosynthesis of lead sulfide nanocrystallites by l-cysteine-desulfurizing bacterium Lysinibacillus sphaericus SH72 was demonstrated in this work. Nanocrystals formed by this bacterial method were characterized using the mineralogical and morphological approaches. The results revealed that the microbially synthesized PbS nanocrystals assume a cubic structure, and are often aggregated as spheroids of about 105 nm in size. These spheroids are composed of numerous nanoparticles with diameter 5–10 nm. Surface characterization of the bacterial nanoparticles with FTIR spectroscopy shows that the l-cysteine coats the surface of PbS nanoparticle as a stabilizing ligand. The optical features of the PbS nanocrystallites were assessed by UV–Vis spectroscopy and PL spectroscopy. The maximum absorption wavelength of the bacterial PbS particles occurs at 240 nm, and the photoluminescence emission band ranges from 375 to 550 nm. The band gap energy is calculated to be 4.36 eV, compared to 0.41 eV for the naturally occurring bulk PbS, with this clear blue shift attributable to the quantum size effect.