Physicochemical Characterization of Ca- and Cu-Decorated TiO₂ Microparticles and Investigation of Their Antimicrobial...

Ca- and Cu-decorated TiO₂ microparticles are titanium dioxide nanoparticles that have been decorated with calcium and copper ions. TiO₂, CaO, and CuO are low-cost, non-toxic, and non-hazardous materials. The aim of the present study was the physicochemical characterization of Ca- and Cu-decorated TiO₂ microparticles and the evaluation of their antimicrobial activity. Thus, Ca²⁺ and Cu²⁺ species were incorporated onto TiO₂ surfaces by a two-step wet method. The obtained TiO₂-CaO-CuO composites were characterized by several experimental techniques. The electronic structure and charge properties of the composites were investigated by density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, the composites were successfully tested for inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans standard strains. The zeta potential data indicate that the physiological condition of investigated microbial strains was strongly affected in presence of a dispersion of 10 μg/L of composites in a saline phosphate buffer also, the recorded SEM images show a damaged microbial cell surface in the presence of composites.