Growth mechanism of amorphous selenium nanoparticles synthesized by Shewanella sp. HN-41

Shewanella sp. HN-41 was exploited for selenium nanoparticles synthesis from aqueous selenite compounds under anaerobic conditions. Various reaction conditions, including reaction time, initial biomass, and initial selenite concentration, were systematically investigated to determine their effects on particle size distribution and formation rate. The biomass concentration of Shewanella sp. HN-41 had no significant effect on average particle size but strongly influenced reduction rate and size distribution. Initial selenite concentration (0.01-1.0mM) also had no significant effect on the average particle size, but affected the early growth stage mechanism of selenium particle production, which was modeled using a Michaelis Menten model. The HRTEM and SAED patterns indicated that the synthesized selenium nanoparticles were amorphous.