Radiolysis-induced synthesis of Mercury Nanoparticles from aqueous solutions of an organometallic biopreservative

The synthesis of mercury nanoparticles (Hg NPs) is more challenging and less investigated than other metallic NPs, despite their potential applications in biomedicine and for mercury recovery from water. In this project, we aim at studying a novel approach to synthesize Hg NPs, by radiolysis of aqueous solutions of thimerosal, an organic mercury salt extensively used as preservative in biomedical preparations. We plan to investigate the mechanisms of nucleation and growth of Hg NPs during X-ray irradiation using time-resolved SAXS and WAXS, coupled with in-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy, varying the initial thimerosal concentration, the amount of inert salt and surfactant in solution, and the viscosity of the aqueous solvent, to assess the range of stability of the synthesized NPs.