title: Polypropylene with embedded copper metal or copper oxide nanoparticles as a novel plastic antimicrobial agent.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop novel polypropylene composite materials with antimicrobial activity by adding different types of copper nanoparticles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Copper metal (CuP) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuOP) were embedded in a polypropylene (PP) matrix. These composites present strong antimicrobial behaviour against E. coli that depends on the contact time between the sample and the bacteria. After just 4 h of contact, these samples are able to kill more than 95% of the bacteria. CuOP fillers are much more effective eliminating bacteria than CuP fillers, showing that the antimicrobial property further depends on the type of copper particle. Cu²⁺ released from the bulk of the composite is responsible for this behaviour. Moreover, PP/CuOP composites present a higher release rate than PP/CuP composites in a short time, explaining the antimicrobial tendency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polypropylene composites based on copper nanoparticles can kill E. coli bacteria depending on the release rate of Cu²⁺ from the bulk of the material. CuOP are more effective as antimicrobial filler than CuP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings open up novel applications of these ion-copper-delivery plastic materials based on PP with embedded copper nanoparticles with great potential as antimicrobial agents.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quijada
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Palza
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D011126:Polypropylenes; D003300:Copper; C000520:cuprous oxide