Killing bacteria and viruses with electrosprayed micro droplets

The multiplexed electrospray of water and antimicrobial effect

The multiplexed electrospray of water and antimicrobial effect

Killing bacteria and viruses with electrosprayed micro droplets

With COVID-19 raging around the globe, researchers are doubling down on methods for developing diverse antimicrobial technologies that could be effective in killing a virus, but harmless to humans and the environment.

A recent study by a KAIST research team will be one of the responses to such efforts. Professor Seung Seob Lee and Dr. Ji-hun Jeong from the Department of Mechanical Engineering developed a harmless air sterilization prototype featuring electrosprayed water from a polymer micro-nozzle array. This study is one of the projects being supported by the KAIST New Deal R&D Initiative in response to COVID-19. Their study was reported in Polymer.

The electrosprayed microdroplets encapsulate reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radicals, superoxides that are known to have an antimicrobial function. The encapsulation prolongs the life of reactive oxygen species, which enable the droplets to perform their antimicrobial function effectively. Prior research has already proven the antimicrobial and encapsulation effects of electrosprayed droplets.

Despite its potential for antimicrobial applications, electrosprayed water generally operates under an electrical discharge condition, which can generate ozone. The inhalation of ozone is known to cause damage to the respiratory system of humans. Another technical barrier for electrospraying is the low flow rate problem. Since electrospraying exhibits the dependence of droplet size on the flow rate, there is a limit for the amount of water microdroplets a single nozzle can produce.

With this in mind, the research team developed a dielectric polymer micro-nozzle array to perform the multiplexed electrospraying of water without electrical discharge. The polymer micro-nozzle array was fabricated using the MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) process. According to the research team, the nozzle can carry five to 19 micro-nozzles depending on the required application.

The high aspect ratio of the micro-nozzle and an in-plane extractor were proposed to concentrate the electric field at the tip of the micro-nozzle, which prevents the electrical discharge caused by the high surface tension of water. A micro-pillar array with a hydrophobic coating around the micro-nozzle was also proposed to prevent the wetting of the micro-nozzle array.

The polymer micro-nozzle array performed in steady cone jet mode without electrical discharge as confirmed by high-speed imaging and nanosecond pulsed imaging. The water microdroplets were measured to be in the range of six to 10 ?m and displayed an antimicrobial effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Professor Lee said, “We believe that this research can be applied to air conditioning products in areas that require antimicrobial and humidifying functions.”

Polymer micro-nozzle array

The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News

Go deeper with Bing News on:
Electrosprayed micro droplets
  • Best Micro Cap Stocks Right Now

    A micro-cap stock is a stock with a total market capitalization between $300 million and $2 billion. These stocks are often smaller, less established operations. But these companies have limitless ...

  • The best microSD cards you can buy

    If you need a faster card, we recommend the 1TB Lexar Play or the Micro Center Premium — both are regularly available for under $100. Can I use a microSD card with a device that only supports SD ...

  • The Best Windows Mini PCs for 2024

    Whatever the form, these Windows micro desktops all deliver surprising features, value, and pep for their size. I have been a technology journalist for almost 30 years and have covered just about ...

  • BBC micro:bit - the next gen

    Find out how your primary school can take part in the BBC micro:bit's UK-wide playground survey and discover downloadable teaching resources for your class. See the micro:bit used as an alarm for ...

  • Why Super Micro Computer Stock Surged Again Today

    Supermicro will be one of two suppliers for server racks to power xAI's chatbot Grok. Investors will need to watch one important parameter when revenue for this new business is reported ...

Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Electrosprayed micro droplets

[google_news title=”” keyword=”electrosprayed micro droplets” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

Go deeper with Bing News on:
Multiplexed electrospraying
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Multiplexed electrospraying

[google_news title=”” keyword=”multiplexed electrospraying” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

What's Your Reaction?
Don't Like it!
0
I Like it!
0
Scroll To Top