STUDY OF THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE CUPRITA SYNTHETIZED BY CHEMICAL ROUTE

Abstract

With the rise of nanotechnology, inorganic nanomaterials have been developed, which have a marked microbicide effect on a wide variety of microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. In the present work, the synthesis, characterization and study of the antimicrobial activity of copper oxide (I), cuprite, Cu2 O, obtained by chemical route was carried out. Copper sulfate pentahydrate was used as the precursor ascorbic acid and glucose, were used as organic reducers. The characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the cuprite particles on the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium was also determined, determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The results of the analysis by X-ray diffraction, confirmed that from the synthesis using ascorbic acid as a reducer and at pH = 1.66, 100% pure Cu was obtained with particle sizes in the micrometric range and polyhedral shape. The synthesis using glucose as a reducer resulted in the obtaining of 100% Cuprite (Cu2 O) with variable morphology, spheres, cubes and tetrahedra were observed, very dependent on the concentration of NaOH used in each synthesis, with particle sizes in the nanoscale and micrometer, that is, nanoparticles and Cu2 O nanostructures were obtained. According to the results of the antimicrobial activity, it can be concluded that Cu2 O copper oxide has an antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, with the MIC of 16 mg/Ml.