Synthesis of bismuth oxide nanoparticles for radiotherapy application
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Date
2018-01-01
Authors
Zulfa Aiza Zulkifli
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Abstract
High atomic number (Z) of bismuth oxide nanoparticles (Bi2O3 NPs) has more cell penetration and less adverse effects than conventional radiosensitisers. In this work, various sizes of Bi2O3 NPs were successfully synthesised using hydrothermal method. Several synthesis parameters were studied: effect of hydrothermal reaction temperature, effect of hydrothermal reaction time, effect of bismuth nitrate, Bi(NO3)3 concentration and effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration. The properties of Bi2O3 NPs were then characterised to determine the phase presence, crystallinity, morphology, elemental presence and size of nanoparticles. The as-synthesised Bi2O3 NPs was in monoclinic Bi2O3 phase (ICDD 98-008-5622). Increasing reaction temperature and time increased the size of Bi2O3 NPs. However, as the Bi(NO3)3 concentration increased, the particle size of Bi2O3 NPs decreased due to less ions diffusion per nuclei. The morphology observation showed that Bi2O3 NPs were in rods form. Coating with PEG did not show any increase in nanoparticles size. Based on Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, by increasing the PEG concentration, the intensity of Bi2O3 NPs band diminished because PEG molecules could adsorb onto the surface of Bi crystals through Bi–O bonding. After that, the produced Bi2O3 NPs were subjected to cytotoxicity analysis and radiotherapy. Bi2O3 NPs did not induce cytotoxicity in breast cancer (mcf-7) cell lines at concentration from 0.05 μM to 50 μM. The radiotherapy performance of the as-prepared Bi2O3 NPs was obtained by calculating the sensitisation enhancement ratio (SER). The optimum result was obtained for 60 nm Bi2O3 NPs with SER of 1.26.