Anti-Bacterial Dye is the First to Work in the Dark

Apr-01-14 Researchers have created an incredibly powerful light-activated antimicrobial surface that will also work in the dark.

Although light-activated materials able to kill pathogens on contact have already been demonstrated, this material from University College London is the first that will also function in the dark. The new coating is made of violet and methylene blue dyes, which have been embedded with gold nanoparticles. Exposing the dyes to light will excite the electrons in the dye, causing them to produce "highly reactive oxygen radicals" that will destroy the cell walls of the bacteria.

In tests, the new coating was shown to be not only the most powerful antibacterial coating of its kind, but also able to function in the dark (although the process took longer). The team is now investigating how exactly the material is able to perform without light.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON]

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