Nanocomposites and a composite based on poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) were synthesized using commercial copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs), copper/cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu|Cu
2
O-NPs), and copper sulfate (CuSO
4
), respectively. The Cu|Cu
2
O-NPs were synthesized using chemical reduction and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesis of Cu|Cu
2
O-NPs yielded a mixture of Cu and Cu
2
O, with metal Cu having a spherical morphology of approximately 40 nm in diameter and Cu
2
O with a diameter of 150 nm. To prepare the nanocomposites (NCs) and the composite material (MC), the NPs and the CuSO
4
salt were incorporated into the PBAT matrix in concentrations of 1, 3, and 5% p/p via an ex situ method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a tensile test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and agar diffusion assays were used for structural, thermomechanical, and antimicrobial characterization. Results showed that the reinforcements did not modify the chemical structure of the PBAT and only slightly increased the percentage of crystallization. The mechanical and thermal properties of the PBAT did not change much with the addition of fillers, except for a slight increase in tensile strength and thermal stability, respectively. The agar diffusion antimicrobial assays showed that the NCs and MCs had good inhibitory responses against the nonresistant strains
Enterococcus faecalis
,
Streptococcus mutans
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
. The MCs based on CuSO
4
had the highest biocidal effect, even against the resistant bacteria
Acinetobacter baumannii
.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1186/s11671-019-2987-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
A novel type of piezoelectric aluminium-based hybrid composite containing silicon carbide (SiC) and piezoelectric lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) was prepared using powder metallurgy technique followed by sintering at 630 •C and hot extrusion at 500 •C. The volume fraction of PLZT particles varied as 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% with fixed weight 1 wt.% of SiC respectively in the composite and its effects on the microstructure as well as the damping nature of the composite were studied. The microstructure of composites was analysed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electron microprobe, and damping behaviour was investigated using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) as function of temperature. Microstructural results attested the homogeneity of two different reinforcements in the composite and thus confirmed hot extrusion process had shown promising route for obtaining homogenous and dense metal matrix composites. DMA studies of homogenous hybrid MMCs indicated that the increase in wt.% of piezoelectric PLZT particles improved the damping properties.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.