A team of researchers
from Rutgers has invented an inexpensive and effective way for eliminating
bacteria and sanitizing surfaces with devices made of paper.
Scanning electron micrograph of E.coli
[By Photo courtesy CDC/Janice Haney Carr. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]
In a recent study
published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
they have explained that, by application of high voltage to stacked sheets of
metallized paper, they were able to generate plasma, which is a combination of
heat, ultraviolet radiation and ozone that could kill microorganisms. The
invention comprises paper with thin layers of aluminum and hexagon patterns
serving as electrodes to produce the plasma, or ionized gas. The fibrous and
porous nature of paper allows gas to permeate, fueling the plasma and
facilitating cooling mechanism.
In the experiments
conducted, the paper-based sanitizers demonstrated elimination of over 99
percent of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
and more than 99.9 percent of E. coli. Preliminary results
also showed that these sanitizers could kill bacterial spores, which are tough
to kill using conventional sterilization methods.
According to the
researchers of this study, these paper-based-sanitizers could be used in the
future, for clothing that sterilizes itself, devices that sanitize laboratory
equipment and smart bandages that could heal wounds. The future work of this
team aims to develop electronic devices that bridge the gap between machines
and humans, while creating new processing techniques for renewable paper
products.
Reference:
Aaron D. Mazzeoa et
al. Paper-based plasma sanitizers. PNAS, May 2017
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1621203114
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