Differences in surface properties of amorphous and crystalline metal sulfides may explain their toxicological potency

Abstract Crystalline NiS and CoS particles have considerably greater toxic and cell transforming activity than amorphous NiS and CoS particles. These differences in biological activities were attributable to the active phagocytosis of crystalline metal sulfides particles compared with low uptake of amorphous particles. An examination of the surface of crystalline and amorphous metal sulfide particles revealed that cry-stalline NiS and CoS have a net negative surface charge while the surface charge of the amorphous derivatives appears to be positive. Additionally, chemical reduction of NiS particles with LiAlH 4 enhanced their entry into cells. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of amorphous and crystalline NiS showed that the outermost surface of the two compounds (1–4 nanometers) differed with respect to the Ni/S ratio and the sulfur oxidation state.