Size Control of Cu Nanoparticles in Ion-Exchanged Soda-Lime Glass by 6 MeV Electron Irradiation and Its Application in Biofilm Inhibition

ABSTRACT A few soda-lime glass samples with a 1 cm2 area and 0.1 cm thickness were dipped into a molten salt bath of copper sulfate and sodium sulfate in a molar ratio of 54:46 at 545°C for 10 min. These samples were irradiated with 6 MeV energy electrons in the fluence range from 10 × 1014 to 40 × 1014 electrons/cm2 and annealed at 400°C. The optical properties and the corresponding induced effects were characterized by techniques such as ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The UV-Vis absorption spectra showed two peaks, one at 754 nm and other centered at 533 nm. The absorption peak at 754 nm was ascribed to Cu+2 ions, and the one at 553 nm corresponded to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of nanocrystalline copper clusters. The intensity and the full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of the optical absorption peaks increased with an increase in the electron fluence. The XRD spectra showed a peak at 2θ positi...