Nanoscale synthesis and mechanical behaviour of polymeric Cu–Ni nanocomposites for antimicrobial coating

Abstract

The manuscript illustrates the advancement of polymeric Cu–Ni nanocomposite thin-film coating with enhanced mechanical and antimicrobial properties. In our work, Cu–Ni bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized and uniformly embedded in a butyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate polymer matrix, forming a strong yet functional soft coating material. Physicochemical characterizations have been carried out through SEM-EDS, TEM, PXRD and TGA confirming the morphology, composition and thermal stability of the nanoparticles. The resulting thin-film coating was further examined for surface morphology and elemental dispersion (SEM–EDS), average coating thickness of ± 0.513 mm, cross-sectional area of 5.561 mm² and nanoscale mechanical performance, including average tensile strength, peak load respectively as 1.183 MPa, 1.3 N and maximum Young’s modulus at 43.474 MPa. Surface wettability was assessed through contact angle measurements along with chemical resistance tests to determine durability of the coating. Moreover, antimicrobial assay has been investigated for the nano particles and coating material embedded with nanoparticle, resulting in highly effective activity. In conclusion, polymeric Cu–Ni nanocomposites show an excellent mechanical strength and operative antimicrobial performance, making them suitable for strong antimicrobial coating.