Cu–Fe nanoparticles containing nanocomposites: synthesis, stabilization and antibacterial activity

Currently, soft hydrogels with antimicrobial properties are widely used in biomedical applications as dressings and wound healing agents. In the present work, Cu–Fe nanoparticles with different component ratios were obtained by the joint electric explosion of iron and copper wires in an argon atmosphere. Bimetallic nanoparticles had a clear interface between the iron and copper phases at the particle level. Cu–Fe nanoparticles had high antibacterial activity against a wide bacterial spectrum. In connection with dusting and entrainment of nanoparticles, for the convenience of biomedical application, compositions were created based on non-toxic biocompatible polymers – polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, and polyacrylamide. The suspension of nanoparticles was pretreated with ultrasound for 5 min at a frequency of 22.4 kHz. Polyvinyl alcohol was used as a nanoparticle stabilizer. The stability of the suspension was investigated by the sedimentation method. The resulting compositions effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 (MRSA), and Pseudomonas aeruginisa ATCC 9027.