Antimicrobial action of Cu, CuO and Cu2O nanoparticles on glass surfaces and durable coatings

A method for making a Cu-nanoparticle coated glass article comprising the steps of:

• providing a glass substrate selected from the groups consisting of alkali aluminosilicate glass, alkali aluminoborosilicate glass and soda lime glass;
• coating the glass substrate with CuO nanoparticles;
• heating the CuO nanoparticle coated glass in N2 at an ambient pressure of 1 atmosphere to sinter the nanoparticles to a surface of the glass substrate;
• chemically strengthen the sintered glass in an ion-exchange bath;
• reducing the CuO nanoparticles to Cu nanoparticles in H2;
• and
• applying a fluorosilane coating to yield an ion-exchanged glass having the reduced Cu nanoparticles thereon.

A method for making a Cu2O nanoparticle containing glass article comprising the steps of:

• providing a glass substrate selected from the groups consisting of alkali aluminosilicate glass, alkali aluminoborosilicate glass and soda lime glass;
• coating the glass substrate with CuO nanoparticles;
• heating the CuO nanoparticle coated glass in N2 at an ambient pressure of 1 atmosphere for a to sinter the nanoparticles to the surface of the glass substrate;
• strengthening the glass by ion-exchange;
• reducing the CuO nanoparticles to Cu nanoparticles in H2 for a time in the range of 5 minutes to 2 hours;
• carrying out a controlled oxidation of the Cu nanoparticles to Cu2O nanoparticles;
• and
• applying a fluorosilane coating to yield an ion-exchanged glass having Cu2O nanoparticles thereon.

A method of making and antimicrobial, chemically strengthened glass article, the method comprising:

• providing a chemically strengthened glass article;
• providing water dispersed copper-containing nanoparticles;
• depositing the nanoparticles on at least one surface of the glass article and drying the article;
• providing a protective material dispersed in a fluid;
• depositing the protective material on the at least one surface having nanoparticles thereon and drying the article;
• sintering the glass article having the nanoparticles and protective material on the at least one surface;
• providing an ion exchange bath and treating the sinter article using the ion-exchange bath;
• and
• reducing the ion exchanged article in a reducing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 275° C. to 325° C. for a time in the range of 1-2 hours.