Micro-Addition of Silver to Copper: One Small Step in Composition, a Change for a Giant Leap in Biocidal Activity

• Published in: Materials Vol. 17; no. 4; p. 917
• Main Authors: Vital, Vitor G, Silva, Márcio R, Santos, Vinicius T, Lobo, Flávia G, Xander, Patrícia, Zauli, Rogéria C, Moraes, Carolina B, Freitas-Junior, Lucio H, Barbosa, Cecíla G, Pellosi, Diogo S, Silva, Ricardo A G, Paganotti, André, Vasconcellos, Suzan P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.02.2024
• Subjects: Alloys; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteria; biocidal; Biocides; Copper; Corrosion resistance; Drug resistance; E coli; Electrodes; Electron transport; H1N1 virus; Metalloenzymes; Microorganisms; Nanoparticles; Pathogens; Silver; Toxicity; United States > US; H1N1 virus; copper; alloys; silver; biocidal
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma17040917

The use of copper as an antimicrobial agent has a long history and has gained renewed interest in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the authors investigated the antimicrobial properties of an alloy composed of copper with a small percentage of silver (Cu-0.03% wt.Ag). The alloy was tested against various pathogens, including , , , , and the H1N1 virus, using contact exposure tests. Results showed that the alloy was capable of inactivating these pathogens in two hours or less, indicating its strong antimicrobial activity. Electrochemical measurements were also performed, revealing that the small addition of silver to copper promoted a higher resistance to corrosion and shifted the formation of copper ions to higher potentials. This shift led to a slow but continuous release of Cu ions, which have high biocidal activity. These findings show that the addition of small amounts of silver to copper can enhance its biocidal properties and improve its effectiveness as an antimicrobial material.