Scalable Processing of Glass with Multi-Functional Cu Coating

Abstract

Functional glass has been intensively studied as a future material with improved comfort, safety, and practicality across a variety of settings, including industrial, and residential environments. The integration of copper coatings on glass is noteworthy for its broad-spectrum germicidal properties. When applied to frequently touched surfaces, this copper-enhanced glass plays a crucial role in controlling infections, underscoring its significance in healthcare and public health contexts. Herein, an innovative approach for processing multifunctional copper coating on glass through atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) is introduced. The Cu coating demonstrates remarkable bactericidal efficiency against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, achieving a 99.9% inhibition rate within 5 h. Moreover, the coating maintains its biocidal effectiveness for up to 3 days against these bacterial strains. The Cu coated glass also incorporates an electrical heating function. This feature allows the glass to increase its surface temperature by ≈7 °C with a minimal power load of 2V. The coating's transparency is variable and can be adjusted through the APS parameters, depending on the desired copper surface coverage. The combination of superior antibacterial properties and electrical heating capability makes the Cu coated glass as high-performance material for medical applications, offering dual functions of infection control and temperature regulation.