July 28, 2022
A new copper coating that kills bacteria faster and in larger quantities than current formulations could soon be available for hospitals and other high-traffic facilities.
Although current formulations made of pure copper are antibacterial and self-sanitizing, they kill certain types of bacteria with a thicker cell wall (Gram-positive bacteria) more slowly than bacteria with a thinner cell wall (Gram-negative).
A team of UBC researchers led by Dr. Amanda Clifford (her), assistant professor in the department of materials engineering, has designed a nano-copper coating that includes nanoscale features that kill bacteria and zinc. The nanoscale features are tiny bumps that can kill bacteria by breaking their cell wall. Zinc, which is also antibacterial, is selectively oxidized in the presence of copper and helps kill bacteria faster compared to pure copper.
Using our coating could significantly reduce the incidence of contracting bacterial infections from high-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities, such as doorknobs and elevator buttons, as it kills bacteria through multiple approaches. Because it contains less copper than other existing coatings or whole copper parts, it would also be cheaper to make.”
Dr. Amanda Clifford, assistant professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at UBC
The team found that it took just one hour for the material to kill 99.7 percent of Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive pathogen commonly responsible for hospital-acquired infections; compared to two hours for pure copper.
“Not only does this coating kill pathogens faster than pure copper, it helps ensure that antibiotics remain effective,” Dr Clifford said. “By using this new formulation, we are killing pathogens before patients become infected and have to use antibiotics against them, slowing the rise of antibiotic resistance.”
The researchers have filed a provisional patent for the coating and manufacturing process, which is described in a new paper in Advanced Materials Interfaces.
“This is currently targeting hospitals and health care facilities because those places are where antibiotic-resistant pathogens, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are a problem. We also don’t want to be in a place where you can’t use antibiotics,” says Dr. Clifford.
The team plans to further evaluate the material against other pathogens, such as viruses, in the hope of commercializing their work.
The work is funded in partnership with Teck Resources Limited, which has installed copper surfaces on high-contact surfaces in UBC’s Faculty of Applied Sciences buildings through its Copper & Health program.
Source:
University of British Columbia
Journal reference:
Nakhaie, D., et al. (2022) An engineered nanocomposite copper coating with enhanced antibacterial efficacy. Advanced material interfaces. doi.org/10.1002/admi.202201009.