The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for efficient sterilization methods for surfaces and open spaces. Current techniques such as UV light and bleach, while effective at killing most pathogens, have presented issues such as toxic residues, degradation of materials, duration of sterilization time, and limited surfaces able to be treated. Ozone has already been established as a successful antimicrobial and antiviral agent used in water remediation techniques. However, when looking at gaseous ozone disinfection for open air systems, the treatment times use high concentrations around 30+ppm and cycle for several hours due to ozone’s half-life. This research shows how gaseous ozone can be a competitor with current techniques by employing a novel catalyst to achieve rapid decay and that, using model pathogens, there is efficacy in treatment times as low as 15 minutes and at concentrations below 5ppm. This work will report results for catalytic ozone degradation and pathogen kill rates while using the novel catalyst.

Sterilization of open-air systems utilizing gaseous ozone and employing a novel catalyst for rapid decay

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.