Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System

Fan, Xinzhen; Yahia, L’Hocine; Sacher, Edward

doi:10.3390/biology10020137

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Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System

Xinzhen Fan

¹,

L’Hocine Yahia

¹ and

Edward Sacher

^2,*,†

Laboratoire d’Innovation et d’Analyse de Bioperformance, Département de Génie Mécanique, Polytechnique Montréal, CP 6079, Succursale C-V, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada

Département de Génie Physique, Polytechnique Montréal, CP 6079, Succursale C-V, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

Submitting author.

Academic Editors: Jack C. Leo and Gill Diamond

Biology 2021, 10(2), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10020137

Received: 17 January 2021 / Revised: 3 February 2021 / Accepted: 7 February 2021 / Published: 10 February 2021

(This article belongs to the Section Biotechnology)

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The antimicrobial properties of Ag and Cu nanoparticles, their mixtures and their alloys, are reviewed.

Abstract

Microbes, including bacteria and fungi, easily form stable biofilms on many surfaces. Such biofilms have high resistance to antibiotics, and cause nosocomial and postoperative infections. The antimicrobial and antiviral behaviors of Ag and Cu nanoparticles (NPs) are well known, and possible mechanisms for their actions, such as released ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), contact killing, the immunostimulatory effect, and others have been proposed. Ag and Cu NPs, and their derivative NPs, have different antimicrobial capacities and cytotoxicities. Factors, such as size, shape and surface treatment, influence their antimicrobial activities. The biomedical application of antimicrobial Ag and Cu NPs involves coating onto substrates, including textiles, polymers, ceramics, and metals. Because Ag and Cu are immiscible, synthetic AgCu nanoalloys have different microstructures, which impact their antimicrobial effects. When mixed, the combination of Ag and Cu NPs act synergistically, offering substantially enhanced antimicrobial behavior. However, when alloyed in Ag–Cu NPs, the antimicrobial behavior is even more enhanced. The reason for this enhancement is unclear. Here, we discuss these results and the possible behavior mechanisms that underlie them. View Full-Text

Keywords: antibacterial; biofilm; metal nanoparticles

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MDPI and ACS Style

Fan, X.; Yahia, L.; Sacher, E. Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System. Biology 2021, 10, 137. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10020137

AMA Style

Fan X, Yahia L, Sacher E. Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System. Biology. 2021; 10(2):137. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10020137

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fan, Xinzhen, L’Hocine Yahia, and Edward Sacher. 2021. "Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System" Biology 10, no. 2: 137. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10020137

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Author Biographies

Xinzhen Fan

Xinzhen Fan is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. He received a Baccalaureate in Polymer Material and Engineering at the Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China, and a Master’s in Polymer Science at the Technical University of Berlin. After graduation, he worked in the Transfar Group Company, Hangzhou, China, as a R&D engineer, before arriving at Polytechnique Montréal. His interests include the physicochemical characterization of nanoparticle surfaces, including AgCu nanoalloys, using methods such as TOF-SIMS, XPS, nanoIR, and SEM, with the aim of correlating their surface properties with the mechanisms of their antibacterial mechanisms. His aim is to coat these nanoalloys onto human body implants, such as knee replacements, to avoid biofilm formation.

L’Hocine Yahia

L'Hocine Yahia received a Baccalaureate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Orléans (France) and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Compiègne University of Technology (France). He is a Full Professor at Polytechnique Montreal, and an Associate Professor of Biomaterials and Biomechanics in the Department of Surgery of the University of Montréal. Dr Yahia is currently the director of the Innovation and Bioperformance Analysis Laboratory. His main interests concern musculoskeletal biomechanics, the properties of ligaments and fascia, living systems from Prigogine’s perspective, redundancy problems in biomechanics and the biomimetics approach to biomaterials. Recent research topics include bioengineering thermodynamics for biosystems, biotensegrity and the constructal approach in biomechanics, and spinal biomechanics. He also serves as a Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Victhom Human Bionics and Begama Technologies, Inc. Dr Yahia holds 10 patents, has written more than 200 papers and 4 books.

Edward Sacher

Edward Sacher was educated in the New York City school system, graduating from Stuyvesant High School. He received a BS in Chemistry from CCNY and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Penn State, followed by three years of postdoctoral study at Ohio State and the University of Ottawa. Subsequently, he was a Research Chemist at the Dupont Experimental Station, then an Advisory Chemist at the IBM Materials Laboratory. At Polytechnique Montréal, his rank was Chercheur III (equivalent to Full Professor of Research in an English-speaking university); he is presently an Adjunct Professor (a “retired” professor doing full time research). His present interests are in nanoparticle characterization, functionalization and cytotoxicity. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London) and of the IEEE.

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