Structural, morphological and optical properties of Bi NPs obtained by laser ablation and their selective detection of L-cysteine

In the present work we show the results of the investigation of the properties of bismuth nanoparticles (NPs) obtained by the laser ablation in water. The samples were characterized by various techniques: UV/vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance and zeta potential. The NPs were metallic and surface oxidated, exhibiting absorption peak at 257 nm due to the surface plasmon resonance. The interaction between the NPs and various amino acids was studied and revealed a selective sensibility to cysteine on a range of concentration from 80 to 720 mu M, which we attribute to a dimerization of cysteine to cystine probably complexed to the nanoparticle surface by electrostatic interactions, leading to the modification of the NP absorption spectrum. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.