The Antimicrobial Effect of The Copper Nanoparticles That Coated on the Fabric and the Efficiency of the Two Types of Stabilizers to Protect It from Rapid Oxidation

Yong, Yao Xuan (2016) The Antimicrobial Effect of The Copper Nanoparticles That Coated on the Fabric and the Efficiency of the Two Types of Stabilizers to Protect It from Rapid Oxidation. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Recent research has found out that the different types of microorganisms have ability to adhere to the surface of implanted medical clothes, pyjamas and sheet in the hospital that produce the biofilm on surfaces of biomaterials. Microorganisms enter the tissues of the skin and other body tissues, often at the site of compromised leading to certain infections and worsen the condition of patients. In this regard, synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNP) with antimicrobial properties have obtained vast attention as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved registration of copper as an antimicrobial agent which is able to reduce specific harmful bacteria linked to potentially deadly microbial infections. The CuNP did not merely release metal ions in solution but their small size and high surface volume ratio allow them to interact closely with microbial membranes leading to improvement in their bioactivity. Besides that, there are no any researches to prove that bacteria are able to develop immunity to copper as they often do with antibiotics. The objectives of this project were to synthesize the copper nanoparticle by using the chemical reduction method and coating of the CuNP on fabric for the antimicrobial test. The major limitation of CuNP is the relatively fast rate of oxidation in ambient environment. Thus, stabiliser (ascorbic acid,A.A and ethylene glycol, E.G) was added on the CuNP to prevent it from rapid oxidation. The results showed that the E.G was more effective as stabiliser, showing no oxidation at both the ambient environment and 37°C. The bacteria used for antimicrobial testing were the Escherichia.coli (gram-negative), Staphylococcus aures (gram-positive) and Bacillus subtilis (gram-positive) which can commonly found in hospital and prone to cause infections. The results showed that the CuNP and its stabilisers had successfully inhibited the three types of bacteria, with a significant (P<0.05) effect on E. coli. The fabric coated with CuNP + E.G showed highest zone of inhibition with the average of total surface area against the three types of bacteria (651.80 mm2) while the fabric coated with only CuNP recorded the inhibition zone of 515.38 mm2. Fabric without coating which was used as the control, did not show any inhibition zone.