Current perspective in metal oxide based photocatalysts for virus disinfection: A review

Abstract

Nanotechnology holds huge potential for the prevention of various viral outbreaks that have increased at a disquieting rate over the past decades. Metal oxide nanomaterials with oxidative capability are the effective materials that provide platforms as well as tools for the well understanding of the mechanism, its detection, and treatment of various viral diseases like measles, influenza, herpes, ebola, current COVID-19 etc. In this inclusive review, we survey various previous research articles on different notable photoactive transition metal oxides that possess enough potential to act as antiviral agents for the deactivation of harmful viruses. We investigated and highlighted the plausible photocatalytic oxidative mechanism of photoactive transition metal oxides in degrading viral coatings, genomic RNA using suitable free radical generation. The key finding of the present review article including the discovery of a vision on the suitable photocatalytic transition metal oxides that have been proven to be excellent against harmful viruses and consequently combatting deadly CoV-2 in the environment. This review intends to provide conclusive remarks and a realistic outlook on other advanced photocatalytic metal oxides as a potential solution in battling other similar upcoming pandemics.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Some Typical Antibiotics: Recent Advances and Future Outlooks

“…Metal oxide semiconductors have been utilized as pristine photocatalysts or as hybrids, or have been coupled/doped with other materials to facilitate the degradation of organic pollutants such as pesticides, dyes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [ 40 ]. More importantly, the application of metal oxide-based photocatalysts for antibiotic degradation has recently drawn more interest and attention from researchers due to their good light absorption under UV, visible light, or both, combined with their biocompatibility, safety, and stability when exposed to different conditions [ 3 , 41 , 42 ]. Generally, metal oxides encounter some challenges regarding ineffectiveness or non-absorbance of photocatalytic activity because of their wide band gap ( Figure 3 ) and faster electron–hole pair recombination [ 43 ].…”

Green aspects of photocatalysts during corona pandemic: a promising role for the deactivation of COVID-19 virus

“…Visible light active metal-free photocatalysts represent a promising category of cost-effective, non-toxic, and stable semiconductor materials, which should be substantially explored for energy generation and water treatment applications. [101][102][103][104][105] Although metal-free photocatalysts (Fig. 6) such as graphene, graphene oxide, and g-C 3 N 4 have not much exploited for ghting SARS-CoV-2 infection yet, their fascinating physicochemical and antiviral activities recommend the potential usage of these materials in preventing and disinfecting COVID-19 viruses via the construction of coated air lters, face-masks and waste-water disinfectants.…”

Inorganic Coatings and Films for Antibacterial and Antivirus Functionality

“…有研究报道可以通过材料 锋利的物理结构破坏掉微生物壁/膜的完整性, 或通过 多孔结构对微生物吸附, 又或是金属氧化物或盐化合物 能够与病原体细胞中含有 O、N、S 等供体的配体结合, 从而诱导氧化应激来破坏细胞蛋白质、脂质和 DNA 致 微生物灭活 [24] . [25][26] .…”