Japan develops photocatalyst for antiviral coating against COVID-19

Viral infections mainly occur in indoor environments where many people gather. Antiviral chemicals, such as alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, are often used to decontaminate regularly touched surfaces. These chemicals essentially render the virus inactive by breaking down their proteins. However, these chemicals are volatile in nature and, therefore, evaporate away. As a result, the disinfection process has to be carried out regularly. Now in a study published in Scientific Reports, a research team of Nara Medical University, Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, and Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan has developed a solidstate photocatalyst as an alternative defence against the virus. Unlike chemical disinfectants, solid-state coatings remain for a long time, and since the viral outbreak, have been the subject of intensive research around the world. Solid-state antiviral coatings have the advantage of being non-toxic, abundant, and chemically and thermally stable. To get the coating to work under visible light as well in the dark conditions, the team has developed a composite consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and copper oxide (CuxO) nanoclusters.