Synthesis of copper nanoparticle-coated poly(styrene-co-sulfonic acid) hybrid materials and its antibacterial properties

• The Cu/PS hybrid materials were synthesized by the Cu nanoparticle-mediated method.
• We explored a novel antibacterial materials through combining the advantages of Cu nanoparticles and PS.
• Comparative experiments revealed that the Cu/PS-3 hybrid materials displayed excellent antibacterial properties.
• The Cu/PS-3 hybrid materials were also expected to find potential applications in many fields.

Sphere-shaped and monodispersed copper nanoparticle-coated poly(styrene-co-sulfonic acid) (Cu/PS) hybrid nanomaterials had been successfully synthesized by a green and facile synthesis method, in which chlorosulfonic acid and glucose were used as a sulfonating agent of polymer beads and a reducing agent. SEM and XRD measurements revealed that the Cu/PS hybrid materials were successfully acquired. Moreover, the size and shape of Cu nanoparticles of the Cu/PS hybrid materials (i.e., Cu/PS-1, Cu/PS-2 and Cu/PS-3 hybrid materials) depended on the sulfonating agent and reducing agent concentrations. The results revealed that the Cu nanoparticles and PS spheres of the Cu/PS-3 hybrid materials had the average diameters of ca. 10 and 120 nm, respectively. Moreover, the Cu/PS-3 displayed excellent antibacterial properties such as relatively low minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).