RESUMO
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanomaterials hold great promise in diverse applications; however, their stability in engineering systems and transformation in nature are largely underexplored. We evaluated the stability, aging, and environmental impact of g-C3N4 nanosheets under the attack of free chlorine and reactive chlorine species (RCS), a widely used oxidant/disinfectant and a class of ubiquitous radical species, respectively. g-C3N4 nanosheets were slowly oxidized by free chlorine even at a high concentration of 200-1200 mg L-1, but they decomposed rapidly when ClO· and/or Cl2â¢- were the key oxidants. Though Cl2â¢- and ClO· are considered weaker oxidants in previous studies due to their lower reduction potentials and slower reaction kinetics than ·OH and Cl·, our study highlighted that their electrophilic attack efficacy on g-C3N4 nanosheets was on par with ·OH and much higher than Cl·. A trace level of covalently bonded Cl (0.28-0.55 at%) was introduced to g-C3N4 nanosheets after free chlorine and RCS oxidation. Our study elucidates the environmental fate and transformation of g-C3N4 nanosheets, particularly under the oxidation of chlorine-containing species, and it also provides guidelines for designing reactive, robust, and safe nanomaterials for engineering applications.
Assuntos
Grafite , Nanoestruturas , Cloro , Oxidantes , CloretosRESUMO
Peroxides find broad applications for disinfecting environmental pathogens particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the extensive use of chemical disinfectants can threaten human health and ecosystems. To achieve robust and sustainable disinfection with minimal adverse impacts, we developed Fe single-atom and Fe-Fe double-atom catalysts for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The Fe-Fe double-atom catalyst supported on sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride outperformed other catalysts for oxidation, and it activated PMS likely through a nonradical route of catalyst-mediated electron transfer. This Fe-Fe double-atom catalyst enhanced PMS disinfection kinetics for inactivating murine coronaviruses (i.e., murine hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59)) by 2.17-4.60 times when compared to PMS treatment alone in diverse environmental media including simulated saliva and freshwater. The molecular-level mechanism of MHV-A59 inactivation was also elucidated. Fe-Fe double-atom catalysis promoted the damage of not only viral proteins and genomes but also internalization, a key step of virus lifecycle in host cells, for enhancing the potency of PMS disinfection. For the first time, our study advances double-atom catalysis for environmental pathogen control and provides fundamental insights of murine coronavirus disinfection. Our work paves a new avenue of leveraging advanced materials for improving disinfection, sanitation, and hygiene practices and protecting public health.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Vírus da Hepatite Murina , Camundongos , Animais , Humanos , Desinfecção , Inativação de Vírus , Ecossistema , Pandemias/prevenção & controle , Peróxidos , CatáliseRESUMO
Waterborne human pathogenic viruses challenge global health and economy. Viruses were long believed to transmit among hosts as individual, free particles. However, recent evidence indicates that viruses also transmit in populations, so-called en bloc transmission, by either interacting with coexisting bacteria, free-living amoebas, and other higher organisms through endosymbiosis and surface binding, or by being clustered inside membrane-bound vesicles or simply self-aggregating with themselves. En bloc transmission of viruses and virus-microbiome interactions could enable viruses to enhance their infectivity, increase environmental persistence, and resist inactivation from disinfection. Overlooking this type of transmission and virus-microbiome interactions may underestimate the environmental and public health risks of the viruses. We herein provide a critical perspective on waterborne human pathogenic viruses in complex microbial communities to elucidate the environmental implication of virus-microbiome interactions on virus infectivity, persistence, and disinfection. This perspective also provides insights on advancing disinfection and sanitation guidelines and regulations to protect the public health.
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Microbiota , Vírus , Bactérias , Desinfecção , HumanosRESUMO
Recent discovery of vesicle-cloaked virus clusters (i.e., viral vesicles) has greatly challenged the central paradigm of viral transmission and infection as a single virion. To understand the environmental transmission of viral vesicles, we used an in vivo model to investigate their environmental persistence and engineering control by disinfection. Murine rotavirus vesicles maintained both their integrity and infectivity after incubation in filtered freshwater and wastewater for at least 7 days, with 24.5-27.5% of the vesicles still intact at 16 weeks after exposure to both waters. Free chlorine disinfection at a dosage of 13.3 mg min L-1 did not decompose murine rotavirus vesicles, and it was much less effective in inactivating rotaviruses inside vesicles than free rotaviruses based on the quantification of rotavirus shedding in mouse stool and rotavirus replication in small intestines. Rotavirus vesicles may be more environmentally transmissible than free rotaviruses regardless of disinfection. Vesicle-mediated en bloc transmission could be responsible for vesicles' resistance to disinfection due to an increased multiplicity of infection and/or genetic recombination or reassortment to promote infection. Our work highlights the environmental, biological, and public health significance of viral vesicles, and the findings call for urgent action in advancing disinfection for pathogen control.
Assuntos
Rotavirus , Animais , Cloro/farmacologia , Desinfecção , Fezes , Camundongos , Rotavirus/genética , Águas ResiduáriasRESUMO
To address the challenge of the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, photosensitized electrospun nanofibrous membranes were fabricated to effectively capture and inactivate coronavirus aerosols. With an ultrafine fiber diameter (â¼200 nm) and a small pore size (â¼1.5 µm), optimized membranes caught 99.2% of the aerosols of the murine hepatitis virus A59 (MHV-A59), a coronavirus surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, rose bengal was used as the photosensitizer for membranes because of its excellent reactivity in generating virucidal singlet oxygen, and the membranes rapidly inactivated 97.1% of MHV-A59 in virus-laden droplets only after 15 min irradiation of simulated reading light. Singlet oxygen damaged the virus genome and impaired virus binding to host cells, which elucidated the mechanism of disinfection at a molecular level. Membrane robustness was also evaluated, and in general, the performance of virus filtration and disinfection was maintained in artificial saliva and for long-term use. Only sunlight exposure photobleached membranes, reduced singlet oxygen production, and compromised the performance of virus disinfection. In summary, photosensitized electrospun nanofibrous membranes have been developed to capture and kill airborne environmental pathogens under ambient conditions, and they hold promise for broad applications as personal protective equipment and indoor air filters.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Nanofibras , Animais , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Desinfecção , Luz , Camundongos , SARS-CoV-2RESUMO
An individual virion was long believed to act as an independent infectious unit in virology, until the recent discovery of vesicle-cloaked virus clusters which has greatly challenged this central paradigm. Vesicle-cloaked virus clusters (also known as viral vesicles) are phospholipid-bilayer encapsulated fluid sacs that contain multiple virions or multiple copies of viral genomes. Norovirus is a global leading causative agent of gastroenteritis, and the reported prevalence of vesicle-cloaked norovirus clusters in stool has raised concerns whether the current disinfection, sanitation, and hygiene practices can effectively control environmental pollution by these pathogenic units. In this study, we have demonstrated that vesicle-cloaked murine norovirus (MNV-1) clusters were highly persistent under temperature variation (i.e., freeze-thaw) and they were partially resistant to detergent decomposition. MNV-1 vesicles were 1.89-3.17-fold more infectious in vitro than their free virus counterparts. Most importantly, MNV-1 vesicles were up to 2.16-times more resistant to UV254 disinfection than free MNV-1 at a low viral load in vitro. Interestingly, with the increase of the viral load, free MNV-1 and MNV-1 vesicles showed equivalent resistance to UV254 disinfection. We show that the increased multiplicity of infection provided by vesicles is in part responsible for these attributes. Our study, for the first time, sheds light on the environmental behavior of vesicle-cloaked virus clusters as unique emerging pathogenic units. Our study highlights the need to revisit current paradigms of disinfection, sanitation, and hygiene practices for protecting public health.
Assuntos
Infecções por Caliciviridae , Norovirus , Animais , Desinfecção , Fezes , CamundongosRESUMO
Understanding the transformation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is essential to assess nanomaterial robustness and environmental risks. Using an integrated experimental and simulation approach, our work has demonstrated that the photoinduced hole (h+) on g-C3N4 nanosheets significantly enhances nanomaterial decomposition under â¢OH attack. Two g-C3N4 nanosheet samples D and M2 were synthesized, among which M2 had more pores, defects, and edges, and they were subjected to treatments with â¢OH alone and both â¢OH and h+. Both D and M2 were oxidized and released nitrate and soluble organic fragments, and M2 was more susceptible to oxidation. Particularly, h+ increased the nitrate release rate by 3.37-6.33 times even though the steady-state concentration of â¢OH was similar. Molecular simulations highlighted that â¢OH only attacked a limited number of edge-site heptazines on g-C3N4 nanosheets and resulted in peripheral etching and slow degradation, whereas h+ decreased the activation energy barrier of C-N bond breaking between heptazines, shifted the degradation pathway to bulk fragmentation, and thus led to much faster degradation. This discovery not only sheds light on the unique environmental transformation of emerging photoreactive nanomaterials but also provides guidelines for designing robust nanomaterials for engineering applications.
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Grafite , Nanoestruturas , Compostos de NitrogênioRESUMO
Carbon-based nanomaterials have shown great promise in regenerative medicine because of their unique electrical, mechanical, and biological properties; however, it is still difficult to engineer 2D pure carbon nanomaterials into a 3D scaffold while maintaining its structural integrity. In the present study, we developed novel carbon nanofibrous scaffolds by annealing electrospun mats at elevated temperature. The resultant scaffold showed a cohesive structure and excellent mechanical flexibility. The graphitic structure generated by annealing renders superior electrical conductivity to the carbon nanofibrous scaffold. By integrating the conductive scaffold with biphasic electrical stimulation, neural stem cell proliferation was promoted associating with upregulated neuronal gene expression level and increased microtubule-associated protein 2 immunofluorescence, demonstrating an improved neuronal differentiation and maturation. The findings suggest that the integration of the conducting carbon nanofibrous scaffold and electrical stimulation may pave a new avenue for neural tissue regeneration.
Assuntos
Estimulação Elétrica , Regeneração Tecidual Guiada/instrumentação , Nanofibras/química , Regeneração Nervosa/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Neurais/fisiologia , Engenharia Tecidual , Alicerces Teciduais , Animais , Diferenciação Celular/efeitos da radiação , Proliferação de Células/efeitos da radiação , Células Cultivadas , Regeneração Tecidual Guiada/métodos , Camundongos , Regeneração Nervosa/efeitos da radiação , Células-Tronco Neurais/citologia , Células-Tronco Neurais/efeitos da radiaçãoRESUMO
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has recently emerged as a promising visible-light-responsive polymeric photocatalyst; however, a molecular-level understanding of material properties and its application for water purification were underexplored. In this study, we rationally designed nonmetal doped, supramolecule-based g-C3N4 with improved surface area and charge separation. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations indicated that carbon-doped g-C3N4 showed a thermodynamically stable structure, promoted charge separation, and had suitable energy levels of conduction and valence bands for photocatalytic oxidation compared to phosphorus-doped g-C3N4. The optimized carbon-doped, supramolecule-based g-C3N4 showed a reaction rate enhancement of 2.3-10.5-fold for the degradation of phenol and persistent organic micropollutants compared to that of conventional, melamine-based g-C3N4 in a model buffer system under the irradiation of simulated visible sunlight. Carbon-doping but not phosphorus-doping improved reactivity for contaminant degradation in agreement with DFT simulation results. Selective contaminant degradation was observed on g-C3N4, likely due to differences in reactive oxygen species production and/or contaminant-photocatalyst interfacial interactions on different g-C3N4 samples. Moreover, g-C3N4 is a robust photocatalyst for contaminant degradation in raw natural water and (partially) treated water and wastewater. In summary, DFT simulations are a viable tool to predict photocatalyst properties and oxidation performance for contaminant removal, and they guide the rational design, fabrication, and implementation of visible-light-responsive g-C3N4 for efficient, robust, and sustainable water treatment.
Assuntos
Grafite/química , Purificação da Água , Catálise , Luz , FenóisRESUMO
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofibers with tailored structure and composition were synthesized by electrospinning to optimize photocatalytic treatment efficiency. Nanofibers of controlled diameter (30-210 nm), crystal structure (anatase, rutile, mixed phases), and grain size (20-50 nm) were developed along with composite nanofibers with either surface-deposited or bulk-integrated Au nanoparticle cocatalysts. Their reactivity was then examined in batch suspensions toward model (phenol) and emerging (pharmaceuticals, personal care products) pollutants across various water qualities. Optimized TiO2 nanofibers meet or exceed the performance of traditional nanoparticulate photocatalysts (e.g., Aeroxide P25) with the greatest reactivity enhancements arising from (i) decreasing diameter (i.e., increasing surface area), (ii) mixed phase composition [74/26 (±0.5) % anatase/rutile], and (iii) small amounts (1.5 wt %) of surface-deposited, more so than bulk-integrated, Au nanoparticles. Surface Au deposition consistently enhanced photoactivity by 5- to 10-fold across our micropollutant suite independent of their solution concentration, behavior that we attribute to higher photocatalytic efficiency from improved charge separation. However, the practical value of Au/TiO2 nanofibers was limited by their greater degree of inhibition by solution-phase radical scavengers and higher rate of reactivity loss from surface fouling in nonidealized matrixes (e.g., partially treated surface water). Ultimately, unmodified TiO2 nanofibers appear most promising for use as reactive filtration materials because their performance was less influenced by water quality, although future efforts must increase the strength of TiO2 nanofiber mats to realize such applications.
Assuntos
Filtração/instrumentação , Nanofibras/química , Titânio/química , Purificação da Água/métodos , Catálise , Ouro/química , Nanopartículas Metálicas/química , Preparações Farmacêuticas/química , Propriedades de Superfície , Poluentes Químicos da Água/química , Purificação da Água/instrumentaçãoRESUMO
Water disinfection practices have long been established as a critical engineering intervention for controlling pathogen transmission and safeguarding individual and public health. However, recent discoveries have unveiled the significant role disinfection and post-disinfection play in accelerating the development of resistance to disinfectants and antimicrobial drugs within bacterial and viral communities in the environment. This phenomenon, in turn, may facilitate the emergence of persistent microbes and those with new genetic characteristics. These microbes may thrive in host environments with increased infectivity and resistance, posing challenges to current medical treatments and jeopardizing human health. In this perspective, we illuminate the intricate interplay between aquatic environments, microbes, and hosts and how microbial virulence evolves across the environment and host under the pressure of disinfection and post-disinfection conditions. We aim to draw attention to the previously overlooked potential risks associated with disinfection in driving the virulence evolution of bacteria and viruses, establish connections between pathogens in diverse environments and hosts within the overarching framework of the One Health concept, and ultimately provide guidelines for advancing future water disinfection technologies to effectively curb the spread of infectious diseases.
Assuntos
Bactérias , Desinfetantes , Desinfecção , Vírus , Desinfecção/métodos , Bactérias/genética , Bactérias/patogenicidade , Bactérias/efeitos dos fármacos , Vírus/genética , Vírus/patogenicidade , Vírus/efeitos dos fármacos , Desinfetantes/farmacologia , Humanos , Microbiologia da Água , Virulência , Purificação da Água/métodosRESUMO
Pd-based catalyst treatment represents an emerging technology that shows promise to remove nitrate and nitrite from drinking water. In this work we use vapor-grown carbon nanofiber (CNF) supports in order to explore the effects of Pd nanoparticle size and interior versus exterior loading on nitrite reduction activity and selectivity (i.e., dinitrogen over ammonia production). Results show that nitrite reduction activity increases by 3.1-fold and selectivity decreases by 8.0-fold, with decreasing Pd nanoparticle size from 1.4 to 9.6 nm. Both activity and selectivity are not significantly influenced by Pd interior versus exterior CNF loading. Consequently, turnover frequencies (TOFs) among all CNF catalysts are similar, suggesting nitrite reduction is not sensitive to Pd location on CNFs nor Pd structure. CNF-based catalysts compare favorably to conventional Pd catalysts (i.e., Pd on activated carbon or alumina) with respect to nitrite reduction activity and selectivity, and they maintain activity over multiple reduction cycles. Hence, our results suggest new insights that an optimum Pd nanoparticle size on CNFs balances faster kinetics with lower ammonia production, that catalysts can be tailored at the nanoscale to improve catalytic performance for nitrite, and that CNFs hold promise as highly effective catalyst supports in drinking water treatment.
Assuntos
Carbono/química , Nanofibras/química , Nitritos/química , Paládio/química , Amônia/análise , Catálise , Meio Ambiente , Cinética , Nanofibras/ultraestrutura , Nanopartículas/química , Nanopartículas/ultraestrutura , Oxirredução , Tamanho da Partícula , SonicaçãoRESUMO
The global COVID-19 pandemic has raised great public concern about the airborne transmission of viral pathogens. Virus-laden aerosols with small size could be suspended in the air for a long duration and remain infectious. Among a series of measures implemented to mitigate the airborne spread of infectious diseases, filtration by face masks, respirators, and air filters is a potent nonpharmacologic intervention. Compared with conventional air filtration media, nanofibrous membranes fabricated via electrospinning are promising candidates for controlling airborne viruses due to their desired characteristics, i.e., a reduced pore size (submicrometers to several micrometers), a larger specific surface area and porosity, and retained surface and volume charges. So far, a wide variety of electrospun nanofibrous membranes have been developed for aerosol filtration, and they have shown excellent filtration performance. However, current studies using electrospinning for controlling airborne viruses vary significantly in the practice of aerosol filtration tests, including setup configurations and operations. The discrepancy among various studies makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compare filtration performance. Therefore, there is a pressing need to establish a standardized protocol for evaluating the electrospun nanofibrous membranes' performance for removing viral aerosols. In this perspective, we first reviewed the properties and performance of diverse filter media, including electrospun nanofibrous membranes, for removing viral aerosols. Next, aerosol filtration protocols for electrospun nanofibrous membranes were discussed with respect to the aerosol generation, filtration, collection, and detection. Thereafter, standardizing the aerosol filtration test system for electrospun nanofibrous membranes was proposed. In the end, the future advancement of electrospun nanofibrous membranes for enhanced air filtration was discussed. This perspective provides a comprehensive understanding of status and challenges of electrospinning for air filtration, and it sheds light on future nanomaterial and protocol development for controlling airborne viruses, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and beyond.
RESUMO
Solar-driven photocatalytic generation of H2O2 over metal-free catalysts is a sustainable approach for value-added chemical production. Here, we synthesized chlorine-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Cl-doped g-C3N4) through a solvothermal method to effectively produce H2O2 with a rate of 1.19 ± 0.06 µM min-1 under visible light irradiation, which was improved by 104 times compared to pristine g-C3N4. Continuous net production of H2O2 was realized at a rate of 2.78 ± 0.10 µM min-1 up to 54 h with isopropanol as the hole scavenger, whereas H2O2 production was only sustained for ~ 6 h without scavengers. Both molecular simulations and advanced spectroscopic characterizations elucidated that the Cl dopant increased the charge transfer rate, decreased the bandgap, and reduced the activation energy of the rate-limiting step of O2 reduction, all of which favored H2O2 production. This work implemented a novel metal-free photocatalyst for sustainable H2O2 production and elucidated the mechanism for promoting H2O2 production that can guide future photoreactive nanomaterial design.
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We prepared a single-atom Fe catalyst supported on an oxygen-doped, nitrogen-rich carbon support (SAFe-OCN) for degrading a broad spectrum of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) by activating peroxides such as peroxymonosulfate (PMS). In the SAFe-OCN/PMS system, most selected CECs were amenable to degradation and high-valent Fe species were present for oxidation. Moreover, SAFe-OCN showed excellent performance for contaminant degradation in complex water matrices and high stability in oxidation. Specifically, SAFe-OCN, with a catalytic center of Fe coordinated with both nitrogen and oxygen (FeNxO4-x), showed 5.13-times increased phenol degradation kinetics upon activating PMS compared to the catalyst where Fe was only coordinated with nitrogen (FeN4). Molecular simulations suggested that FeNxO4-x, compared to FeN4, was an excellent multiple-electron donor and it could potential-readily form high-valent Fe species upon oxidation. In summary, the single-atom Fe catalyst enables efficient, robust, and sustainable water and wastewater treatment, and molecular simulations highlight that the electronic nature of Fe could play a key role in determining the activity of the single-atom catalyst.
Assuntos
Ferro , Peróxidos , Carbono , Catálise , OxirreduçãoRESUMO
Continuous photocatalysis via photo-charging and dark-discharging presents a paradigm shift in conventional photocatalysis with the requirement of continuous illumination to maintain the catalytic activity. This is expected to meet the ever-increasing demand for sustainable development of energy and environment driven by natural day-night cycles. Substantial advances in continuous photocatalysis for various environmental applications under light-dark cycles have been witnessed during the last decade. However, there lacks a systematic and critical review on basic but important information of continuous photocatalysis for environmental remediation, challenging robust scientific progress of this technology towards potential practical use. Here, the general description of continuous photocatalysis involving energy storage mechanisms (hole and electron storage) and characterizations (electron storage behaviors, release behaviors and storage capacity) has been first introduced. Importantly, the remediation performance and mechanism of continuous photocatalysis for environmental applications are qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrated, including chemical pollutant oxidation and reduction, microbial pathogen inactivation, and multifunctional treatment. In addition, key factors influencing its remediation performance are analyzed, for the first time, from both operational and environmental views. The ample opportunities in the field of continuous photocatalysis for sustainable environmental remediation are also pointed out, calling for more efforts to fill current knowledge gaps in the future.
Assuntos
Poluentes Ambientais , Recuperação e Remediação Ambiental , ElétronsRESUMO
Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 plays a critical role in spreading COVID-19. To protect public health, we designed and fabricated electrospun nanofibrous air filters that hold promise for applications in personal protective equipment (PPE) and the indoor environment. Due to ultrafine nanofibers (â¼300 nm), the electrospun air filters had a much smaller pore size in comparison to the surgical mask and cloth masks (a couple of micrometers versus tens to hundreds of micrometers). A coronavirus strain served as a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and was used to generate aerosols for filtration efficiency tests, which can better represent SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to other agents used for aerosol generation in previous studies. The electrospun air filters showed excellent performance by capturing up to 99.9% of coronavirus aerosols, which outperformed many commercial face masks. In addition, we observed that the same electrospun air filter or face mask removed NaCl aerosols equivalently or less effectively in comparison to the coronavirus aerosols when both aerosols were generated from the same system. Our work paves a new avenue for advancing air filtration by developing electrospun nanofibrous air filters for controlling SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission.
RESUMO
Photocatalysis holds promise for inactivating environmental pathogens. Visible-light-responsive composites of carbon-doped graphitic carbon nitride and chitosan with high reactivity and processability were fabricated, and they can control pathogenic biofilms for environmental, food, biomedical, and building applications. The broad-spectrum biofilm inhibition and eradication of the photocatalytic composites against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and Escherichia coli O157: H7 under visible light irradiation were demonstrated. Extracellular polymeric substances in Escherichia coli O157: H7 biofilms were most resistant to photocatalytic oxidation, which led to reduced performance for biofilm removal. 1O2 produced by the composites was believed to dominate biofilm inactivation. Moreover, the composites exhibited excellent performance for inhibiting biofilm development in urine, highlighting the promise for inactivating environmental biofilms developed from multiple bacterial species. Our study provides fundamental insights into the development of new photocatalytic composites, and elucidates the mechanism of how the photocatalyst reacts with a microbiological system.
Assuntos
Quitosana , Biofilmes , Catálise , Grafite , Luz , Compostos de NitrogênioRESUMO
Solar-energy-enabled photocatalysis is promising for sustainable water purification. However, photoreactor design, especially immobilizing nano-sized photocatalysts, remains a major barrier preventing industrial-scale application of photocatalysis. In this study, we immobilized photocatalytic graphitic carbon nitride on chitosan to produce g-C3N4/chitosan hydrogel beads (GCHBs), and evaluated GCHB photoreactivity for degrading phenol and emerging persistent micropollutants in a 3D printed compound parabolic collector (CPC) reactor. The CPC photocatalytic system showed comparable performance with slurry reactors for sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine degradation under simulated sunlight, and it maintained the performance for contaminant removal in real water samples collected from water/wastewater treatment plants or under outdoor sunlight irradiation. Global drinking water production was estimated for the CPC system, and it holds promise for small-scale sustainable water treatment, including, but not limited to, the production of high-quality potable water for single houses, small communities, rural areas, and areas impacted by natural disasters in both developed and developing countries.
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Biofilms are a cluster of bacteria embedded in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that contain a complex composition of polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA (eDNA). Desirable mechanical properties of the biofilms are critical for their survival, propagation, and dispersal, and the response of mechanical properties to different treatment conditions also sheds light on biofilm control and eradication in vivo and on engineering surfaces. However, it is challenging yet important to investigate mechanical behaviors of biofilms with a high spatial resolution because biofilms are very heterogeneous. Moreover, biofilms are viscoelastic, and their time-dependent mechanical behavior is difficult to capture. Herein, we develop a powerful technique that combines the high spatial resolution of an atomic force microscope (AFM) with a rigorous history-dependent viscoelastic analysis to deliver highly spatial-localized biofilm properties within a wide time-frequency window. By exploiting the use of static force spectroscopy in combination with an appropriate viscoelastic framework, we highlight the intensive amount of time-dependent information experimentally available that has been largely overlooked. It is shown that this technique provides a detailed nanorheological signature of the biofilms even at the single-cell level. We share the computational routines that would allow any user to perform the analysis from experimental raw data. The detailed localization of mechanical properties in space and in time-frequency domain provides insights into the understanding of biofilm stability, cohesiveness, dispersal, and control.