Study of the Antimicrobial Activity of Cuprite Synthesized by Chemical Route

Abstract

With the rise of nanotechnology, inorganic nanomaterials have been developed which have a marked microbicide effect on a wide variety of microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. In the present work, the synthesis, characterization and study of the antimicrobial activity of cuprite (copper (I) oxide, Cu2O), obtained by chemical route was carried out. To obtain cuprite, copper sulfate pentahydrate was used as a precursor and ascorbic acid and glucose as organic reductants. The synthesis using glucose as a reductant resulted in the obtaining of 100% cuprite with variable morphology, spheres, cubes and tetrahedra were observed, very dependent on the concentration of NaOH used in each synthesis, with particle sizes in the nanoscale and micrometer, that is, nanoparticles and Cu2O nanostructures were obtained. According to the results of the antimicrobial activity, it can be concluded that Cu2O copper oxide has an antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, with the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, MIC, 16 mg/mL.