Cu/SnO2 nanocomposite bilayer coatings
In a new study a nano-bilayer structure consisting of copper and SnO2 nanocomposites was prepared by a magnetron sputtering method.
A nano-SnO2 thin layer with a thickness of 52 nm was achieved on quartz glass. A nano-copper layer was then deposited on top of the SnO2 thin layer by the sputtering method. The thickness of the nano-copper layer was approximately 7 nm, such that the SnO2 layer was not only completely covered by the copper layer but it also resulted in transparent bilayer films. Post-annealing was carried out at 400°C in air for 1 h to obtain a crystalline SnO2 phase and simultaneously the copper layer was oxidized to CuO.
Antimicrobial function even under a dark environment
Sputtered nanocomposites of CuO/SnO2 bilayer films showed a synergistic effect toward E. coli inactivation under indoor light exposure. A possible mechanism for the synergistic effect with respect to the antibacterial properties of CuO/SnO2 bilayer nanocomposites has been proposed. Incorporating CuO onto the SnO2 layer achieves photocatalyst works under indoor light and provides an antimicrobial function even under a dark environment by the antimicrobial property of CuO itself. Reported CuO/SnO2 sputter coating can be useful to apply, for instance, to electric devices such as touch panel displays in a hospital in order to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
The study is published in: Journal of Coatings Technology and Research March 2018, Volume 15, Issue 2, pp 437–443.
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