is far superior to"somebody with bleach and a rag trying to keep surfaces sanitized."
The team came up with a material that takes advantage of copper's natural germicidal properties. Now they're formulating a new combination of materials that will be easy to apply to surfaces and durable. Banerjee explained the copper nanoparticles are electrostatically attracted to the cell walls of pathogens,"which they weaken and break down, essentially causing bacterial annihilation."under the creative title"Lethal Weapon IL .
Both researchers acknowledge there are still questions to be answered about the copper-based material. Determining exactly how long the coating remains effective is an important next step, as is exploring the antimicrobial effects of other nanoparticles like zinc and iron, both of which are"literally dirt cheap," said Banerjee.