Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System

Abstract

Microbes, including bacteria and fungi, easily form stable biofilms on many surfaces. Such biofilms have high resistance to antibiotics, and cause nosocomial and postoperative infections. The antimicrobial and antiviral behaviors of Ag and Cu nanoparticles (NPs) are well known, and possible mechanisms for their actions, such as released ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), contact killing, the immunostimulatory effect, and others have been proposed. Ag and Cu NPs, and their derivative NPs, have different antimicrobial capacities and cytotoxicities. Factors, such as size, shape and surface treatment, influence their antimicrobial activities. The biomedical application of antimicrobial Ag and Cu NPs involves coating onto substrates, including textiles, polymers, ceramics, and metals. Because Ag and Cu are immiscible, synthetic AgCu nanoalloys have different microstructures, which impact their antimicrobial effects. When mixed, the combination of Ag and Cu NPs act synergistically, offering substantially enhanced antimicrobial behavior. However, when alloyed in Ag–Cu NPs, the antimicrobial behavior is even more enhanced. The reason for this enhancement is unclear. Here, we discuss these results and the possible behavior mechanisms that underlie them.

Fabrication of Antibacterial Metal Surfaces Using Magnetron-Sputtering Method

“…It could also be assumed that the enhanced antimicrobial activity of the bimetallic hybrids of the Au/Cu and Ag/Cu type was caused by the synergistic effect of the coexistence of both metallic species. Similar results were obtained by Fan et al [ 41 ] and Perdikaki et al [ 42 ]. It was shown that AgCu alloys or Ag/Cu-graphene hybrid samples with varied Ag on stainless steel surfaces exhibited higher antimicrobial activity than other tested samples.…”

“…As shown by Khare et al, the antibacterial effect of bimetallic surfaces consisting of Ag and Cu is long-term [ 44 ]. A thorough summary of the microstructures and antimicrobial properties of Ag/Cu combinations was presented by Fan et al [ 41 ]. On the other hand, from the electrochemical point of view, the contact of two metals creates a galvanic pair that facilitates the oxidation of the more active component [ 45 ].…”

A Nano-Silver Loaded PVA/Keratin Hydrogel With Strong Mechanical Properties Provides Excellent Antibacterial Effect for Delayed Sternal Closure

“…In general, silver nanoparticles are biologically safer and exhibit less toxicity than silver ions. It has been documented that nanoparticle-containing dressings did not produce systemic or local toxicity when applied to nonburn skin wounds (Yamanaka et al, 2005;Marin et al, 2015;Fan et al, 2021). Furthermore, the AgNPs loaded on the carrier can be released continuously and maintain a relatively constant concentration, achieving the purpose of long-lasting antibacterial activity (Li et al, 2010).…”

“…Herein, we designed and prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) loaded film based on poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and keratin. The crosslinking between PVA and keratin by the action of sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) provided the film with good mechanical properties to meet the requirements of surgical sutures (Leone et al, 2010;Samoila et al, 2019) while AgNPs conferred excellent antibacterial properties (Xie et al, 2017;Mabrouk et al, 2020;Fan et al, 2021). Furthermore, both in vivo and in vitro experiments were carried out.…”

Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Coating Materials for Orthopedic Implants: A Review

“…By synthesizing Ag/Cu nanoparticles (Ag-CuNPs) and detecting their antibacterial and antifungal activities, Marta et al [89] concluded that Ag-CuNPs exhibited synergistic effects against Escherichia coli, S. aureus, and Candida albicans. Fan et al [90] reported that Ag-CuNPs have a synergistic effect and can significantly enhance the antibacterial properties of alloy nanoparticles. Zhang et al [91] doped Cu ions into a TiO 2 coating on the surface of Ti implants by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and concluded that TiO 2 -Cu nanoparticles (TiO 2-CuNPs) have good antibacterial ability.…”