BIOCIDAL PROPERTIES OF CUONANOPARTICLES

Biocides are products used to prevent or control the spread of various harmful organisms such as bacteria or viruses. Silver and gold nanoparticles are mostly used as active substances of biocides used in the medical field. However, a more economically acceptable alternatives are different copper compounds, specificallycopper(II) oxide. CuO nanoparticles were gained via sonicationmethod from copper(II) acetate in a sodium hydroxide solution. Physical and chemical properties of gained CuO nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Biocidal tests were performed on bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosaand Bacillus subtilis,as well on fungi Candida albicansand Aspergillus nigerusing the disc diffusion method. The ultrasonic irradiation method was found to yield pure CuO nanoparticles smaller than 70 nm. Also, EDS measurement verified the stoichiometric distribution of copper and oxygen in the sample.Antimicrobialproperties were proven excellent for both bacteria and fungiexcept for Pseudomonas aeruginosa,for which CuO nanoparticles seem to have low effect. KEYWORDS:copper(II) oxide; sonication; antimicrobialproperties