title: Potent Antibacterial Activity of Copper Embedded into Silicone and Polyurethane.
abstract: A simple, easily up-scalable swell-encapsulation-shrink technique was used to incorporate small 2.5 nm copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) into two widely used medical grade polymers, polyurethane, and silicone, with no significant impact on polymer coloration. Both medical grade polymers with incorporated CuNPs demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against the clinically relevant bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. CuNP-incorporated silicone samples displayed potent antibacterial activity against both bacteria within 6 h. CuNP-incorporated polyurethane exhibited more efficacious antimicrobial activity, resulting in a 99.9% reduction in the numbers of both bacteria within just 2 h. With the high prevalence of hospital-acquired infections, the use of antimicrobial materials such as these CuNP-incorporated polymers could contribute to reducing microbial contamination associated with frequently touched surfaces in and around hospital wards (e.g., bed rails, overbed tables, push plates, etc.).
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.|UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London , 67-73 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EJ, United Kingdom.|Department of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London , 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sandeep K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sehmi
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.|Department of Medical Physics and Biomedicals Engineering, University College London , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sacha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noimark
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London , Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London , 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London , 67-73 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: MacRobert
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University College London , 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ivan P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Parkin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D010316:Particle Size; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012828:Silicones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011140:Polyurethanes; D012828:Silicones; D014867:Water; D003300:Copper
keywords: antimicrobial; bacteria; copper; hospital-acquired infections; nanoparticle; polymers