Remote Photocatalytic Eradication of Biorecalcitrant Microorganisms via BiOCl_0.2Br_0.8─The Applied Aspects of Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis

Photocatalysis has an exceptional capacity to eliminate a wide range of harmful microorganisms and is proven to be superior over commonly used disinfection methods. A visible light-induced photocatalyst, the BiOCl_0.2Br_0.8@gypsum hybrid composite, composed of microspheres (∼3 μm) molded with a gypsum composite as a honeycomb-shaped filter was proven to inactivate a large selection of bacteria including Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, and Listeria monocytogenes via remote photocatalysis. The chemical composition and morphology of the composite were unveiled with the help of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N₂sorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. After 6 h under ambient conditions, our system declined the number of viable bacteria by fourfold. A similar effect was observed at a low temperature, where we rapidly and completely diminished L. monocytogenes inside a refrigerator within 24 h of visible light illumination.