Diplacodes bipunctata dragonfly wings are covered by nanoscale pillars, which exhibit strong antibacterial activity.IVANOVA ET AL.The material: Black silicon, a synthetic material studded with needle-shaped nanostructures that is used primarily for sensor applications, serves as a potent antibacterial agent, killing some 450,000 cells per minute in just one square centimeter, according to a study published today (November 26) in Nature Communications.
“If it’s manufacturable, if it’s transferable to other surfaces and fabrics, it could be a major breakthrough,” said Stephen Kelly, a nanoparticle researcher at the U.K.’s University of Hull who was not involved in the research. “It’s interesting in itself in that it clarifies that you can have mechanical effects to kill bacteria, but more importantly, it offers the potential for antibacterial surfaces which will kill a whole range of different kinds of bugs.”
What’s new: Nanoparticles with antimicrobial effects have long been used to coat materials in clinical settings. “Bedding in hospitals, nurses uniforms, or bandages, you can make them antibacterial, soaking them in silver nitrate,” Kelly explained. But it was unclear whether the nanoparticles worked by some sort of chemical effect, with ions ...
