Study of Synthesis of CuO Nanoparticles with Sol-Gel Method and Its Application as Antibacterial Agent in Portland Cement

Abstract

In environmental conditions that have a relatively high level of humidity, it can trigger health problems in the people in the residential environment. Humid environmental conditions can cause the interior surface of the building to become an excellent place for the growth of bacteria. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of adding CuO nanoparticles as antibacterial agents in Portland cement with Escherichia coli bacteria as a bacterial model. Evaluation of antibacterial properties in Semen-CuO is carried out using the disc diffusion test method. The test was carried out by varying the addition of CuO to Portland cement by 0%, 1%, 3% and 5% (%w/w) and was carried out stirring cuO without sonication and with the help of sonication to obtain a perfect dispersion. Characterization of CuO is carried out using the XRD instrument to obtain information regarding the structure, crystallinity and size of the synthesized CuO. The morphology of the cement-CuO surface was observed using sem instruments. The results showed that the best antibacterial effectiveness was obtained by the addition of CuO as much as 3% into Portland cement which resulted in an inhibitory zone size of 7 mm by stirring using ultrasonics. The presence of an inhibitory zone indicates that the resulting Cement-CuO shows an inhibitory effect on the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria.