Airborne pathogens can widely spread and cause severe diseases in humans, concerning the risks of indoor exposure in hospitals, homes, and malls. Therefore, the inactivation of pathogens in indoor air environments is important. The inactivation of microorganisms in water by nanowire electroporation has been well studied in recent years. But the effectiveness of nanowire-modified electrodes for air disinfection is still unknown. In this study, a disinfection method for the quick inactivation of bacteria in air is reported. The copper meshes were modified with Cu(OH)₂ nanowires by electrochemical method. A flow-through device with nanowire-modified electrodes inside was designed to generate, mix, and disinfect bioaerosols. 60–85% inactivation efficiency for bacteria and more than 2-log removal for viruses were achieved with a short air retention time of 0.3 s in high humidity (RH of 100%). Endospores showed a susceptibility to electric disinfection similar to that of the vegetable cells. The inactivation efficiency of bacteria in moderate humidity (RH of 40%) could be significantly improved up to 51% by coating with a high conductive material, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The main inactivation mechanism in air was demonstrated as electroporation by detecting membrane integrity. This novel disinfection method may be applied for the disinfection of air-transmitted pathogens in the future.

中文翻译：

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纳米线改性铜网电极实现高效空气消毒

空气传播的病原体可以广泛传播并导致人类严重疾病，涉及医院、家庭和商场室内暴露的风险。因此，室内空气环境中病原体的灭活非常重要。近年来，通过纳米线电穿孔灭活水中微生物已得到深入研究。但纳米线修饰电极用于空气消毒的有效性仍不清楚。在这项研究中，报道了一种快速灭活空气中细菌的消毒方法。通过电化学方法用Cu(OH) ₂纳米线对铜网进行修饰。内部装有纳米线修饰电极的流通装置旨在产生、混合和消毒生物气溶胶。在高湿度（相对湿度 100%）下，仅 0.3 秒的空气停留时间即可实现 60-85% 的细菌灭活效率和超过 2-log 的病毒去除率。内生孢子表现出与植物细胞类似的对电消毒的敏感性。通过涂覆高导电材料聚(3,4-乙撑二氧噻吩):聚(苯乙烯-4-磺酸盐) (PEDOT:附注）。通过检测膜完整性证明了空气中的主要灭活机制是电穿孔。这种新颖的消毒方法将来可能应用于空气传播病原体的消毒。