Bactericidal mechanism of Ag/Al2O3 against Escherichia coli.

The bactericidal process of Ag/Al2O3 to Escherichia coli has been investigated to clarify the bactericidal mechanism. In SEM images, the configuration of E. coli cells contacting with the catalyst surface was quite different from that contacting with AgNO3 solution, which indicated that the Ag+ eluted from the catalyst did not play an important role in the bactericidal process. The bactericidal experiments strongly confirmed the contribution of multiform reactive oxygen species (ROS) (super oxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase as the scavengers for O2*- and H2O2, respectively) to bactericidal effect on the catalyst surface. Furthermore, the surface modification of Ag/Al2O3 by ultraviolet and formaldehyde influenced the bactericidal effect obviously, which not only confirmed the bactericidal mechanism of catalytic oxidation but also provided evidence for the synergistic effect between Ag and Al2O3 on the catalyst surface.

Catalytic sterilization of Escherichia coli K 12 on Ag/Al2O3 surface.

Bactericidal action of Al(2)O(3), Ag/Al(2)O(3) and AgCl/Al(2)O(3) on pure culture of Escherichia coli K 12 was studied. Ag/Al(2)O(3) and AgCl/Al(2)O(3) demonstrated a stronger bactericidal activity than Al(2)O(3). The colony-forming ability of E. coli was completely lost in 0.5 min on both of Ag/Al(2)O(3) and AgCl/Al(2)O(3) at room temperature in air. The configuration of the bacteria on the catalyst surface was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the expression of the bactericidal activity on the surface of catalysts by assay with O(2)/N(2) bubbling and scavenger for ROS. Furthermore, the formation of CO(2) as an oxidation product could be detected by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and be deduced by total carbon analysis. These results strongly support that the bactericidal process on the surface of Ag/Al(2)O(3) and AgCl/Al(2)O(3) was caused by the catalytic oxidation.

Heterogeneous oxidation of carbonyl sulfide on atmospheric particles and alumina.

Heterogeneous oxidation of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) on atmospheric particles and alumina (Al2O3) was investigated in a closed system and a flowed system using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). At room temperature, OCS could be catalytically oxidized on the surface of atmospheric particles and Al2O3 to form gas-phase CO2 and surface sulfate (SO4(2-)), sulfite (HSO3-), and hydrogen carbonate (HCO3-) species. The real atmospheric particles were characterized using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. As a simplified model, Al2O3 was used to study the reaction mechanism of heterogeneous oxidation of OCS. The hydrogen thiocarbonate surface (HSCO2-) species, an intermediate formed in the reaction of OCS with surface hydroxyl (OH), could only be observed on the prereduced Al2O3 sample. The experimental results also indicate that surface oxygen containing species on the atmospheric particle sample and the Al2O3 sample might be the key reactant for OCS oxidation. A reaction mechanism of heterogeneous oxidation of OCS on Al2O3 surface is discussed.