Comparative Study of Properties and Cytotoxicity of Eco-Friendly AgInS2, CuInS2, and ZnIn2S4 Quantum Dots under a Unified Experimental Framework
- 1Federal University of São João del-Rei , , Dom Bosco Campus , , ,
- 2Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, SYMMES, STEP , ,
Abstract
Ternary quantum dots (TQDs) are promising cadmium-free nanomaterials for optoelectronic and biomedical applications; however, systematic comparisons among AgInS2 (AIS), CuInS2 (CIS), and ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) quantum dots remain limited because these materials are typically investigated using different synthetic protocols and characterization methodologies. Herein, we present a systematic comparative study of aqueously synthesized AIS, CIS, and ZIS quantum dots, enabling direct comparison of their optical, electrochemical, surface, and biological properties within a unified comparative framework. The nanocrystals exhibited similar sizes (4–6 nm), ensuring that the observed differences primarily reflected composition. Combined optical and electrochemical analyses revealed consistent trends in bandgap energies that were in good agreement with Mulliken electronegativity-based predictions. Despite their structural similarity, AIS showed long lifetimes and moderate emission efficiency, CIS exhibits suppressed photoluminescence due to dominant nonradiative recombination, whereas ZIS exhibited fast recombination dynamics associated with surface-dominated states. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy established a direct relationship between composition, defect states, and electronic structure, while all QDs exhibited high cell viability (>90%), confirming their cytocompatibility. Overall, this unified comparative approach demonstrates that cation identity governs band alignment, recombination pathways, and cytocompatibility, providing practical guidance for the rational design of cadmium-free quantum dots for photocatalytic, optoelectronic, and biomedical applications.
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BibTeX
@article{silva2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative Study of Properties and Cytotoxicity of Eco-Friendly AgInS2, CuInS2, and ZnIn2S4 Quantum Dots under a Unified Experimental Framework}},
author = {Cecília B. da Silva and Letícia R. C. Cunha and Paulo H. A. Campos-Junior and Arnaldo C. Pereira and Dmitry Aldakov and Marco A. Schiavon},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c09767},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c09767/5454987/Comparative-Study-of-Properties-and-Cytotoxicity},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative Study of Properties and Cytotoxicity of Eco-Friendly AgInS2, CuInS2, and ZnIn2S4 Quantum Dots under a Unified Experimental Framework
AU - Cecília B. da Silva
AU - Letícia R. C. Cunha
AU - Paulo H. A. Campos-Junior
AU - Arnaldo C. Pereira
AU - Dmitry Aldakov
AU - Marco A. Schiavon
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c09767
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c09767/5454987/Comparative-Study-of-Properties-and-Cytotoxicity
AB - Ternary quantum dots (TQDs) are promising cadmium-free nanomaterials for optoelectronic and biomedical applications; however, systematic comparisons among AgInS2 (AIS), CuInS2 (CIS), and ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) quantum dots remain limited because these materials are typically investigated using different synthetic protocols and characterization methodologies. Herein, we present a systematic comparative study of aqueously synthesized AIS, CIS, and ZIS quantum dots, enabling direct comparison of their optical, electrochemical, surface, and biological properties within a unified comparative framework. The nanocrystals exhibited similar sizes (4–6 nm), ensuring that the observed differences primarily reflected composition. Combined optical and electrochemical analyses revealed consistent trends in bandgap energies that were in good agreement with Mulliken electronegativity-based predictions. Despite their structural similarity, AIS showed long lifetimes and moderate emission efficiency, CIS exhibits suppressed photoluminescence due to dominant nonradiative recombination, whereas ZIS exhibited fast recombination dynamics associated with surface-dominated states. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy established a direct relationship between composition, defect states, and electronic structure, while all QDs exhibited high cell viability (>90%), confirming their cytocompatibility. Overall, this unified comparative approach demonstrates that cation identity governs band alignment, recombination pathways, and cytocompatibility, providing practical guidance for the rational design of cadmium-free quantum dots for photocatalytic, optoelectronic, and biomedical applications.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -