Bioinspired Dual‐Pathogen Defense Through Electrostatic‐Capturing and Light‐Burst Sterilization for Smart Screen Windows
Abstract
Ensuring biosafety in indoor environments demands innovative and sustainable antimicrobial solutions against airborne pathogens. Inspired by nature's "trap-and-kill" phenomenon, we engineered an ambient light-activated antimicrobial polymer coating through molecular integration of quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizers on nonwoven fabrics (NWF). This strategy establishes a coherent and synergistic mechanism from bacterial capturing to light-bursting pathogen defense, effectively overcoming inherent limitations of conventional QAS systems including contact-dependent inactivation kinetics and compromised biofilm penetration. Under ambient light irradiation, the composite nonwoven fabric demonstrated rapid antimicrobial efficacy with 99.98% reduction against S. aureus and E. coli, alongside 99.93% inactivation of Influenza A virus (H1N1). Crucially, the integrated bactericidal-filtration system maintains biosafety in enclosed spaces under accelerated bioaerosol diffusion conditions, achieving 99.23% airborne pathogen interception efficiency through combined physical capture and on-contact inactivation. The screen windows made of "capturing and inactivating" dual-functional nonwoven fabrics serve as intelligent interfaces for next-generation building biosafety control systems.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Antimicrobial agents and applications
Infection Control and Ventilation
Dyeing and Modifying Textile Fibers
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Small
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 19
- Pages
- e10515–e10515
- Publication date
- 5 February 2026
- Language
- EN