Published January 21, 2015
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Extracellular polymeric substances govern the surface charge of biogenic elemental selenium nanoparticles.

Creators

  • 1. UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
  • 2. Helmholtz-Zentrum#R#Dresden − Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Bautzner#R#Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
  • 3. Delft University of Technology
  • 4. Helmholtz-Zentrum#R#Dresden − Rossendorf, Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
  • 5. University of Paris
  • 6. Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University
  • 7. Paris-Sorbonne University

Description

The origin of the organic layer covering colloidal biogenic elemental selenium nanoparticles (BioSeNPs) is not known, particularly in the case when they are synthesized by complex microbial communities. This study investigated the presence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on BioSeNPs. The role of EPS in capping the extracellularly available BioSeNPs was also examined. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and colorimetric measurements confirmed the presence of functional groups characteristic of proteins and carbohydrates on the BioSeNPs, suggesting the presence of EPS. Chemical synthesis of elemental selenium nanoparticles in the presence of EPS, extracted from selenite fed anaerobic granular sludge, yielded stable colloidal spherical selenium nanoparticles. Furthermore, extracted EPS, BioSeNPs, and chemically synthesized EPS-capped selenium nanoparticles had similar surface properties, as shown by ζ-potential versus pH profiles and isoelectric point measurements. This study shows th...
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