Ga2O3-Cu2O: synthesis, characterisation and antibacterial properties

• Published in: RSC advances Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 551 - 558
• Main Authors: Hassan, Iman A, Sathasivam, Sanjayan, Islam, Husn-Ubayda, Nair, Sean P, Carmalt, Claire J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 01-01-2017
• Subjects: Bacteria; Copper oxides; E coli; Gallium oxides; Metabolism; Photoelectrons; Synchrotron radiation; Thin films; X ray absorption
• ISSN: 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra24737g

This paper reports on a Ga
2
O
3
-Cu
2
O composite thin film that allows the destruction of both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria
via
a dual mechanism involving Ga
3+
ions that disrupt Fe
3+
metabolism pathways in bacteria as well as through the reactive oxygen species generated by possible Fenton type reactions that are mediated by Cu
1+
ions. This dual mechanism allowed the highly transparent composite thin film to destroy both
E. coli
and
S. aureus
to below detection limits in 24 hours and limits the build up of bacterial resistance. The composite film was amorphous and the nature of the Ga and Cu species was extensively analysed on the surface and the bulk using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation involving linear combination analysis (LCA) and the X-ray absorption near edge structure.
This paper reports on Ga
2
O
3
-Cu
2
O composite film prepared
via
AACVD that allows efficient destruction of both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria.