Bacteria are omni-present species that can prove to be beneficial and at the same time dangerous as well. The bacteria of a certain group have to be killed owing to their infectious and disease-causing nature. Therefore, the scientists have come up with a number of sanitizing solutions, ointments, or soap as a bacterial protection technique.
Assistant Professor Aaron Mazzeo and his team from the Rutgers’ Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have created a papertronic sensor for the sanitization purpose by killing the bacteria. This device made of paper is an inexpensive and efficient way of keeping the environment septic-free.
Though paper may seem to be a B.C. era material,it has properties that can have high-end applications in various fields. According to Aaron, when a metalized paper has high-voltage supply passed through it, then it behaves as plasma, which behaves as ozone, ultraviolet radiation, and heat generation substance, in order to kill the bacteria.
Speaking of sanitization, this new research seems to open new doors for the medical field as well as a number of other sectors. In the future, the sanitizer paper can be used to design clothing that can sterilize itself, smart bandages to heal wounds or injuries, and equipments that sanitize laboratory devices or surfaces. This protective device can help curb the spread of infectious diseases such as Zika, Ebola, and so on.
The metalized paper is made of thin layers of aluminum sheets that have a hexagon or honeycomb-like pattern serving as an electrode in order to produce ionized gas or plasma. This porous structure helps ease the permeation of gas through it, generate the plasma, and maintain the cooling. Currently, this sanitization paper is being tested for its spore killing properties as the destruction of the bacterial spores is not easy.
According to Aaron, the next goal is to create a paper-based sanitizing sensor that resembles the human or animal skin, which provides protection against foreign bodies. These sensors can help keep the environment, people, devices, or vehicles free of bacterial infection or contamination.
Thus, the paper-based sanitizers will not only build the gap between the biological industry and the technological industry but also inculcate the use of renewable sources.
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