IIT-Guwahati researchers develop nanomaterial to detect mercury in human cells

The research team, have figured out a modification that ensures perovskite nanocrystals, known for their exceptional properties to detect metal ions, maintain their functionality over extended periods, making them highly effective for practical use, a press release said.

Hyderabad: Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed an innovative cost-effective method to identify toxic metals like mercury in human cells. The research team, have figured out a modification that ensures perovskite nanocrystals, known for their exceptional properties to detect metal ions, maintain their functionality over extended periods, making them highly effective for practical use, a press release said.

Perovskite nanocrystals, which are about 100,000 times smaller than a human hair, interact with light in significant ways, enabling them to serve as fluorescent probes inside living cells. However, their quick degradation in water has previously limited their applications.

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The researchers, led by Prof. Saikat Bhaumik, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, in collaboration with Prof. Chandan Goswami, Associate Professor, NISER Bhubaneswar, encapsulated the perovskite nanocrystals in silica and polymer coatings, significantly enhancing their stability and luminescent intensity in water.

“The ability of the perovskite nanocrystals to undergo multiphoton absorption allows overcomes this for sharper and more detailed imaging. These properties make them ideal for advanced fluorescence imaging in medical and biological research,” Prof. Saikat Bhaumik, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, IIT Guwahati, said.

The findings of this research have been published in leading journals, including “Journal of Materials Chemistry C” and “Materials Today Chemistry”.