Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Poloxamer‐Assisted Copper Nanoparticles: Investigating the Effects of Different Concentrations of Poloxamer 407

Abstract

The development of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) with antimicrobial activities shows high potential for various clinical applications. We herein synthesized Poloxamer(P407)-assisted CuNPs with improved oxidative stability using a simple process that included environment friendly Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as a reducing agent and nontoxic P407 polymer as a stabilizing agent. To optimize the reducing agent, the effect of the molar ratio of ascorbic acid-to-Cu 2 + salt was investigated through fluorescence measurements. The UV-Visible spectrum presented that the inclusion of P407 improved the efficiency of CuNPs synthesis. In addition, DLS demonstrated that when the concentration of P407 was increased, the particle size of CuNPs was reduced. According to the XRD patterns, all the CuNPs are fcc-structured and crystalline. The FE-SEM and EDX images indicated the cubic morphology and the absence of any oxides of copper. The synthesized CuNPs have different particle sizes, showing strong antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as funguses. Our findings suggest that P407-assisted CuNPs could be a new way to fight both human and plant pathogens.