An overview of nanomaterial-based novel disinfection technologies for harmful microorganisms: Mechanism, synthesis, devices and application

Zhong-Ting Hu; Yue Chen; Yan-Fei Fei; Siew-Leng Loo; Guancong Chen; Mian Hu; Yujie Song; Jun Zhao; Yifeng Zhang; Jiade Wang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155720

An overview of nanomaterial-based novel disinfection technologies for harmful microorganisms: Mechanism, synthesis, devices and application

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Sep 1:837:155720. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155720. Epub 2022 May 4.

Authors

Zhong-Ting Hu¹, Yue Chen¹, Yan-Fei Fei¹, Siew-Leng Loo², Guancong Chen³, Mian Hu¹, Yujie Song⁴, Jun Zhao⁵, Yifeng Zhang⁶, Jiade Wang⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT), Hangzhou 310014, China.
² Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.
³ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
⁴ Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
⁵ Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: zhaojun@hkbu.edu.hk.
⁶ Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
⁷ College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT), Hangzhou 310014, China. Electronic address: jdwang@zjut.edu.cn.

PMID: 35525366
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155720

Abstract

Harmful microorganism (e.g., new coronavirus) based infection is the most important security concern in life sciences and healthcare. This article aims to provide a state-of-the-art review on the development of advanced technology based on nanomaterial disinfection/sterilization techniques (NDST) for the first time including the nanomaterial types, disinfection techniques, bactericidal devices, sterilization products, and application scenarios (i.e., water, air, medical healthcare), with particular brief account of bactericidal behaviors referring to varied systems. In this emerging research area spanning the years from 1998 to 2021, total of ~200 publications selected for the type of review paper and research articles were reviewed. Four typical functional materials (namely type of metal/metal oxides, S-based, C-based, and N-based) with their development progresses in disinfection/sterilization are summarized with a list of synthesis and design. Among them, the widely used silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered as the most effective bacterial agents in the type of nanomaterials at present and has been reported for inactivation of viruses, fungi, protozoa. Some methodologies against (1) disinfection by-products (DBPs) in traditional sterilization, (2) noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) agglomeration and release, (3) toxic metal leaching, (4) solar spectral response broadening, and (5) photogenerated e^-/h⁺ pairs recombination are reviewed and discussed in this field, namely (1) alternative techniques and nanomaterials, (2) supporter anchoring effect, (3) nonmetal functional nanomaterials, (4) element doping, and (5) heterojunction constructing. The feasible strategies in the perspective of NDST are proposed to involve (1) non-noble metal disinfectors, (2) multi-functional nanomaterials, (3) multi-component nanocomposite innovation, and (4) hybrid techniques for disinfection/sterilization system. It is promising to achieve 100% bactericidal efficiency for 10⁸ CFU/mL within a short time of less than 30 min.

Keywords: Bactericidal behavior; Bactericidal devices; Disinfection technology; Nanomaterial; Sterilization product.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Disinfection / methods
Metal Nanoparticles*
Nanocomposites*
Oxides
Silver
Technology

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Oxides
Silver