Super copper sheet-kill bacteria in only 2 minutes

This new copper product is the result of a collaborative research project between the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and CSIRO, the national scientific institution of Australia.

Copper has long been used to combat different kinds of bacteria, 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 can be slow, and researchers around the world are working hard to speed up the process

Professor Qian said: “A standard copper surface can kill about 97% of Staphylococcus aureus within 4 hours

"So it is not only more effective, but also 120 times faster

Qian said that it is important that these results were obtained without the help of any medication

"Our copper structure has proven that it is very powerful for such a common material

The team believes that once further developed, this new material will have a wide range of applications, including antibacterial door handles and other contact surfaces in schools, hospitals, homes, and public transportation, as well as filtration in antibacterial respirators or air ventilation systems.

The team is currently studying enhancing the effectiveness of 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, which led the U.

Unique structure brings more copper to battle

The lead author of the study, Dr.

A special copper mold casting process is used to make this alloy, which arranges copper and manganese atoms into a specific shape

Then, manganese atoms are removed from the alloy through a cheap and scalable chemical process called "dealloying", filling the surface of pure copper with tiny micro-scale and nano-scale cavities

"Our copper is composed of comb-like micro-scale cavities.

"This mode also makes the surface super hydrophilic or hydrophilic, so the water exists as a flat film instead of a drop of water

"The hydrophilic effect means that bacterial cells struggle to maintain their shape when stretched by the surface nanostructures, while the porous mode allows copper ions to be released more quickly

Smith said: "These combined effects not only lead to structural degradation of bacterial cells, making them more susceptible to the attack of toxic copper ions, but also promote the entry of copper ions into bacterial cells
.

"It is the combination of these 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 to help reduce the increase in antibiotic-resistant superbugs by reducing the need for antibiotics
.

"Drug-resistant infections are on the rise, and as limited new antibiotics enter the market, the development of resistant 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's work to help address the growing risk of antibiotic resistance
.
"

This research was initiated by the RMIT-CSIRO PhD project and subsequently co-funded by the CASS Foundation in Melbourne, Australia
.
This innovative method currently has patent applications in the United States, China and Australia
.

JL Smith, N.
Tran, T.
Song, D.
Liang, M.
Qian.
Robust bulk micro-nano hierarchical copper structures possessing exceptional bactericidal efficacy .
Biomaterials , 2022; 280: 121271