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Review
. 2018 Feb 28:6:33.
doi: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00033. eCollection 2018.

Understanding Mechanism of Photocatalytic Microbial Decontamination of Environmental Wastewater

Chhabilal Regmi  1 , Bhupendra Joshi  1 , Schindra K Ray  1 , Gobinda Gyawali  1 , Ramesh P Pandey  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Understanding Mechanism of Photocatalytic Microbial Decontamination of Environmental Wastewater

Chhabilal Regmi et al. Front Chem. .

Abstract

Several photocatalytic nanoparticles are synthesized and studied for potential application for the degradation of organic and biological wastes. Although these materials degrade organic compounds by advance oxidation process, the exact mechanisms of microbial decontamination remains partially known. Understanding the real mechanisms of these materials for microbial cell death and growth inhibition helps to fabricate more efficient semiconductor photocatalyst for large-scale decontamination of environmental wastewater or industries and hospitals/biomedical labs generating highly pathogenic bacteria and toxic molecules containing liquid waste by designing a reactor. Recent studies on microbial decontamination by photocatalytic nanoparticles and their possible mechanisms of action is highlighted with examples in this mini review.

Keywords: environmental pollutants; mechanisms of action; microbial inactivation; photocatalysis for environment; semiconductors.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The possible mechanisms of antimicrobial activities exhibited by different photocatalytic semiconductors. In the left side of the figure, the activation of the photocatalytic semiconductor by visible light is shown. Red colored arrows point the targets of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by various semiconductors. The blue color arrow represents the target of BiVO4. Ag, Cu, and Au metal nanoparticles are also known to generate ROS and targets different parts in the cell. The green color arrow represents targets of Ag nanoparticle. Different targets in the microbial cells are labeled within the cell.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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