Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of copper, nickel and bimetallic Cu–Ni nanoparticles for potential use in dental materials

The antibacterial effect is a desirable property in dental materials. Development of simple methods for the preparation of nanosized metal particles has attracted significant attention because of their future applications due to unusual size-dependent antibacterial properties. Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and bimetallic Cu–Ni nanoparticles were prepared by a simple chemical method and their antibacterial activity was tested against the widely used standard human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus (gram-negative) and Escherichia coli (gram-positive). Additionally, these nanoparticles were tested against the dental pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Our results are promising for potential use in dental materials science.