On-demand cold plasma activation of acetyl donors for bacteria and virus decontamination

Szili, E.J. and Ghimire, B. and Patenall, B.L. and Rohaim, M. and Mistry, D. and Fellows, A. and Munir, M. and Jenkins, A.T.A. and Short, R.D. (2021) On-demand cold plasma activation of acetyl donors for bacteria and virus decontamination. Applied Physics Letters, 119 (5): 054104. ISSN 0003-6951

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Abstract

Antibiotics are commonly used as the first line of defense in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rendering many antibiotics less effective. Consequently, effective non-antibiotic antimicrobial strategies are urgently needed to combat AMR. This paper presents a strategy utilizing cold plasma for the "on-demand"activation of acetyl donor molecules. The process generates an aqueous-based antimicrobial formulation comprising a rich mixture of highly oxidizing molecules: peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The synergistic potent oxidative action between these molecules is shown to be highly effective at eradicating common wound pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) and at inactivating a virus (SARS-CoV-2).