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Published on: February 27, 2021
Investigation of Industrial Polyurethane Foams Modified with Antimicrobial Copper Nanoparticles
Maria Chiara Sportelli1, Rosaria Anna Picca2, Roberto Ronco3
1Dipartimento di Chimica, Università Degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona 4, Bari (BA) 70126, Italy. maria.sportelli@uniba.it.
Abstract:
Antimicrobial copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were electrosynthetized and applied to the controlled impregnation of industrial polyurethane foams used as padding in the textile production or as filters for air conditioning systems. CuNP-modified materials were investigated and characterized morphologically and spectroscopically, by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The release of copper ions in solution was studied by Electro-Thermal Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (ETAAS). Finally, the antimicrobial activity of freshly prepared, as well as aged samples-stored for two months-was demonstrated towards different target microorganisms.

