Copper coated β-tricalcium phosphate nanoparticles with enhanced antimicrobial and selective anticancer activity:...

Bacterial infections and cancer remain major challenges in biomedical applications, highlighting the need for multifunctional nanomaterials with enhanced antibacterial and anticancer properties. This study aimed to develop copper-coated β-tricalcium phosphate (Cu@β-TCP nanoparticles) nanoparticles to address these challenges. XRD confirmed retention of the rhombohedral β-TCP structure with reduced crystallite size after copper coating (18 ± 1.5 nm vs. 25 ± 2 nm). SEM, TEM, and DLS revealed smaller, spherical, and well-dispersed Cu@β-TCP nanoparticles. FTIR and XPS indicated preserved phosphate groups and successful copper deposition. Cu@β-TCP nanoparticles exhibited superior antibacterial and antifungal activity, lower MIC values, and faster bacterial killing compared to β-TCP. Cytotoxicity studies against MG-63 osteosarcoma cells showed IC₅₀ values for Cu@β-TCP nanoparticles of 119.2 µg/mL (24 h), 109.8 µg/mL (48 h), and 100.8 µg/mL (72 h), compared to 127.3 µg/mL, 120.6 µg/mL, and 115.6 µg/mL for β-TCP, while maintaining high fibroblast viability (> 81%). These results demonstrate that copper coating enhances the physicochemical properties, selective cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial performance of β-TCP, making Cu@β-TCP nanoparticles a promising candidate for biomedical applications.