Early-stage corrosion, ion release, and the antibacterial effect of copper and cuprous oxide in physiological buffers: Phosphate-buffered saline vs Na-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid

Abstract

Copper surfaces are well known for their antibacterial effects due to the release of copper ions. This benefit has been shown in many antibacterial efficiency tests, however, without considering the corrosion behaviors of copper in the physiological solutions, which could play an indispensable role in ion release from the metallic surface. This study compared the ground copper surface and sputtered cuprous oxide (Cu2O) coating in two common physiological buffers: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and Na-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (Na-HEPES). The growth of the cuprous oxide (Cu2O) layer was found on copper in pure PBS, inhibiting further copper ion release. In contrast, a continuous release of copper ions was recorded in Na-HEPES for 3 h, where no oxide formation was observed. The antibacterial efficiency of copper (against E. coli) was measured and discussed with the ion release kinetics in the presence of E. coli. Similar results were obtained from Cu2O coating, ruling out its assisting role in showing the antibacterial property from copper surfaces, but they did indicate the importance of taking environmental parameters into consideration in interpreting the antibacterial efficiency of copper surfaces.