Revisiting Mg solubility in CuO nanorods: limit probed by neutron diffraction and effect on the particle toxicity towards bacteria in water.

Both nanometer-sized CuO and MgO particles exhibit bactericidal activities against and , two bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections. The solid solution CuMgO is potentially interesting for biomedical applications as one of the compositions could have a much higher bactericidal activity than the parent CuO and MgO oxides considered separately. But, to date, no Vegard's law proves the real existence of such a solid solution.

Understanding the bactericidal mechanism of Cu(OH) nanorods in water through Mg-substitution: high production of toxic hydroxyl radicals by non-soluble particles.

To date, there is still a lack of definite knowledge regarding the toxicity of Cu(OH) nanoparticles towards bacteria. This study was aimed at shedding light on the role played by released cupric ions in the toxicity of nanoparticles. To address this issue, the bactericidal activity of Cu(OH) was at first evaluated in sterile water, a medium in which particles are not soluble.

Hydration and bactericidal activity of nanometer- and micrometer-sized particles of rock salt-type MgCuO oxides.

Copper substitution together with nano-structuring are applied with the aim to increase the bactericidal performances of the rocksalt-type MgO oxide. The partial substitution of magnesium ions with Cu has been successfully achieved in both micrometer- and nanometer-sized particles of MgO up to 20 mol% in increments of 5 mol%. Microstructural analyses using the Integral Breadth method revealed that the thermal decomposition of the single source precursor MgCu(OH)(CO).

Enhanced bactericidal activity of brucite through partial copper substitution.

Brucite Mg(OH) belongs to a family of two-dimensional compounds with a CdI-type structure built up from layers of edge-sharing octahedra delineating 2D galleries. In the current study, nanometer-sized platelets of copper substituted Mg(OH) were prepared by co-precipitation at room temperature in mixed alkaline (NaOH/NaCO) medium. Very weak substitution of a few hydroxyl ions by carbonate groups was highlighted at first by infrared spectroscopy and then quantified by thermogravimetric (TG) and mass spectrometric (MS) evolved gas analyses.