A facile route to prepare colorless Ag-Cu nanoparticle dispersions with elevated antibacterial effects

Colorless Ag-Cu nanoparticle (NP) dispersions have been prepared by heating polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)- polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-stabilized Ag NPs with Cu ions . They were characterized by TEM photomicrographs and UV-Visible spectroscopy. They showed high stability, and enhanced antibacterial effects against S. aureus , P. aeruginosa , E. coli and C. albicans . The antibacterial order decreased from Ag-Cu NPs to Ag NPs + Cu ions, to unheated Ag NPs, to heated Ag NPs.