COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR PREPARING COPPER-CONTAINING PAPER AND USES THEREOF

摘要

The invention comprises an environmentally benign method for the direct in situ preparation of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in paper by reducing sorbed copper ions with ascorbic acid. Copper nanoparticles were quickly formed in less than 10 minutes and were well distributed on the paper fiber surfaces. Paper sheets were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity of the CuNP sheets was assessed for by passing Escherichia coli bacteria suspensions through the papers. The effluent was analyzed for viable bacteria and copper release. The CuNP papers with higher copper content showed a high bacteria reduction of log 8.8 for E. coli. The paper sheets containing copper nanoparticles were effective in inactivating the test bacteria as they passed through the paper. The copper levels released in the effluent water were below the recommended limit for copper in drinking water (1 ppm).

主权项

1. A method of preparing a point-of-use water purification system comprising copper-containing paper, the method comprising:
contacting an absorbent cellulose blotting paper or filter paper with an alkaline solution of copper hydroxide and soaking the paper in said solution, wherein copper is sorbed onto the paper; removing the paper from the copper hydroxide solution and then contacting the paper with deionized water to remove excess base; following removing the excess base, reducing copper ions embedded in the paper by contacting the paper with an ascorbic acid solution; removing the paper from ascorbic acid solution; and washing the paper with deionized water, thereby preparing the point-of-use water purification system.