Abstract

The dramatic increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is considered one of the greatest threats to human health at global scale. The antibacterial activity of noble metal nanoparticles, could be the solution against bacterial infectious diseases which currently do not respond to conventional treatments. In this work, copper nanoparticles were produced by laser ablation using two different lasers. A nanosecond laser operating at 532 nm and a picosecond laser at 1064 nm were used to ablate a copper target submerged in water and methyl alcohol. The obtained colloidal solutions consisted of copper oxide nanoparticles in suspension with diameters ranging from few nanometers to 45 nm. The nanoparticles formation process is highly influenced by laser parameters, but the solvent plays a crucial role on their characteristics. Cu oxide nanoparticles obtained in water present chain-like nanostructure, while those obtained in methyl alcohol are spherical with lower presence of oxide. All the obtained nanoparticles are crystalline and noticeably stable. Microbiology tests confirm their strong activity against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Cytocompatibility with human periodontal ligament stem cells is also confirmed. The biological assays evidence that ions release is not the main parameter responsible for the bactericidal activity of copper nanoparticles. Other factors such as oxidation state, size and crystallographic structure, have a greater influence on the process.