A new copper coating that reportedly kills bacteria quicker and in greater amounts than current coatings could soon be available for hospitals and other busy public facilities.
The new copper material includes bacteria-killing nanoscale features plus zinc for extra protection and was created by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada.
The nanoscale features are tiny bumps that can kill bacteria by rupturing their cell wall, while the zinc—which is also antibacterial—helps kill bacteria quicker than pure copper alone.
The material took just one hour to kill 99.7% of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—a pathogen commonly responsible for hospital-acquired infections—compared with two hours for pure copper.
“Not only does this coating kill pathogens faster than pure copper, it helps ensure antibiotics remain effective,” said the materials engineer Dr Amanda Clifford who led the research.
The researchers say the new coasting “could significantly reduce the incidence of contracting bacterial infections from high-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities, such as doorknobs and elevator buttons, since it kills bacteria using multiple approaches.”
Dr Clifford added: “As it contains less copper than other existing coatings or whole copper parts, it would also be cheaper to make.”
The University of British Columbia, in partnership with copper producer Teck Resources, is now applying over 400 of the copper patches to high-contact areas at UBC to study the antimicrobial properties of copper.
Detail: https://engineering.ubc.ca/news/2022/ubc-engineers-develop-nano-copper-to-quickly-kill-superbugs