Disinfection Using Copper-Based Hybrid Systems
The biocidal activity of Cu(II) is greatly enhanced by the addition of H2O2 or hydroxylamine (HA), which accelerates the production of cytotoxic Cu(I) and generates a reactive oxidant (cupryl ion, Cu(III)) capable of exerting oxidative cell damages. The bimetallic Fe-Cu nanoparticles also exhibit excellent biocidal activity in the similar biocidal mechanism. These copper-based hybrid disinfection systems were assessed for their potential to inactivate surrogate bacteria and viruses. In addition, combinations of Cu(II) with HA and H2O2 (i.e., Cu(II)/HA, Cu(II)/H2O2, and Cu(II)/HA/H2O2 systems) were tested for the control of bacterial biofilms on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. The detailed mechanisms for the cell inactivation by different copper-based disinfection systems were discussed.