Synthesis and characterization of size-controlled nano-Cu2O deposited on alpha-zirconium phosphate with excellent antibacterial property.

Ultra-small cuprous oxide (<10 nm) was deposited on the exterior face of alpha-zirconium phosphate (ɑ-ZrP). These nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized using ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) and ɑ-ZrP sheets as a chelating agent and template, respectively. In this article, nanosized cuprous oxide (Cu2O) loaded on the exterior face of ɑ-ZrP (Cu2O@ZrP) was prepared via a simple and convenient method. The coordination effect of EDTA stabilized the copper ions in solution and prevented agglomeration of Cu2O seed crystals into larger-sized particles. Moreover, the ɑ-ZrP sheets simultaneously acted as a template to further inhibit the growth of Cu2O grains. The Cu2O nanoparticles with the particle size of about 4 nm were uniformly loaded on the ZrP nanosheet. Furthermore, the antibacterial properties of Cu2O@ZrP hybrid materials and PET/Cu2O@ZrP antibacterial fabric were studied against E. coli (ATCC 25922) and S. aureus (ATCC 6538) by counting the number of surviving colonies. Ultra-small Cu2O of the Cu2O@ZrP composites lead to excellent antibacterial activity. It demonstrated that Cu2O@ZrP hybrid materials show great promise as antibacterial material widely used in various fields.