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A new copper surface kills bacteria more than 100 times faster and more effectively than standard copper, and can help combat the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant super bacteria.
The new copper product is the result of a collaborative research project between RMIT University and the Australian National Science Agency CSIRO. The research results have just been published in Biomaterials.
Copper has long been used to combat different bacterial strains, including the common Staphylococcus aureus, because the ions released from the metal surface are toxic to bacterial cells.
But as Ma Qian, a distinguished professor at RMIT University, explained, when standard copper is used, the process is slow, and researchers all over the world are working hard to speed up this process.
"A standard copper surface will kill approximately 97% of Staphylococcus aureus in four hours," Qian said.
"It is incredible that when we put Staphylococcus aureus on our specially designed copper surface, it destroyed more than 99.99% of the cells in just two minutes."
"So not only is it more effective, but it's 120 times faster."
Qian said that the important thing is that these results were obtained without the help of any medication.
He said: "Our copper structure has proven itself to be very effective for this common material."
The team believes that once this new material is further developed, it may have a wide range of applications, including antibacterial door handles and other touch surfaces in schools, hospitals, homes, and public transportation, as well as filtration in antibacterial respirators or ventilation systems. Device, and face mask.
The team is now studying the effectiveness of enhanced copper against SARS-COV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), including evaluating 3D printed samples.
Other studies have shown that copper may be very effective against viruses, leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to officially approve copper surfaces for antiviral use earlier this year.
Unique structure brings more copper to battle
The lead author of the study, Dr. Jackson Leigh Smith, said that copper’s unique porous structure is the key to its effectiveness as a rapid bactericide.
A special copper mold casting process is used to make the alloy, which arranges the copper and manganese atoms into a specific structure.
An inexpensive and scalable chemical process called "dealloying" is then used to remove manganese atoms from the alloy, leaving tiny micro- and nano-scale cavities on the surface of pure copper.
"Our copper is composed of comb-like micropores, with much smaller nanopores in each tooth of the comb-like structure; it has a huge active surface area," Smith said.
"The pattern also makes the surface super-hydrophilic or hydrophilic, so water exists on it as a flat film instead of droplets."
"Hydrophilicity means that bacterial cells have difficulty maintaining their shape when stretched by the surface nanostructures, while the porous pattern allows copper ions to be released more quickly."
"These combined effects not only cause the structural degradation of bacterial cells, making them more susceptible to toxic copper ions, but also promote the absorption of copper ions by bacterial cells," Smith said.
"It is this combination of effects that greatly accelerates the elimination of bacteria."
Dr. Daniel Liang of CSIRO said that researchers all over the world are seeking to develop new medical materials and devices that help reduce the increase in antibiotic-resistant superbugs by reducing the need for antibiotics.
"Drug-resistant infections are on the rise, and with the limited number of new antibiotics on the market, the development of antibacterial materials may play an important role in helping to solve this problem," Liang said.
"This new copper product provides a promising and affordable option for fighting superbugs. This is just one example of CSIRO helping to address the growing risk of antibiotic resistance." Further explore how bacteria convert copper into antibiotics More information: JL Smith et al. Robust Bulk micro-nano hierarchical copper structure has excellent bactericidal efficacy, Biomaterials (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121271 Journal information: Biomaterials
Citation provided by RMIT University: The new copper surface can eliminate bacteria in just two minutes (December 13, 2021) Retrieved on December 13, 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2021-12-copper- surface-bacteria-minutes.html This file is protected by copyright. Except for any fair transaction for private learning or research purposes, no part may be copied without written permission. The content is for reference only.
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