Antibacterial chitosan-copper nanocomposite coatings for biomedical applications

Ehsan Tabesh, Hamidreza Salimijazi, Mahshid Kharaziha, Mehdi Hejazi

The purpose of this study was to improve the antibacterial activities of chitosan by adding copper nanoparticles at different concentrations. The physical and chemical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles and nanocomposite coatings were assessed using different characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The antibacterial properties of the nanocomposite coatings were investigated using several Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms of interest, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The size of the obtained copper nanoparticles was about 11 nm, with chitosan as a stabilizer. The best result of antibacterial activity was related to the sample subjected to 2 M of chitosan solution (0.5 wt.% Cu nanoparticle) for 5 min at 5 volt.