Broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects of hydrogen boride nanosheets†

Abstract

Hydrogen boride (HB) nanosheets are novel 2D materials that have found application in various fields such as electronics, energy storage, and catalysis. The present study describes the novel antimicrobial effects of HB nanosheets. Transparent thin films of HB coated on a glass substrate inactivate pathogens, such as the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus, feline calicivirus, and bacteriophages. The infectious titer of these microbes decreases to the detection limit within 10 min in the dark at room temperature. The antiviral function of the HB nanosheets is retained in the absence of moisture, mimicking the environment of dry surfaces. The HB nanosheets also inactivate bacteria and fungi such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium pinophilum. We discussed the mechanism of the broad-spectrum antimicrobial function of HB nanosheets based on the physicochemical properties of HB nanosheets. Denaturation of microbial agents is derived from strong physicochemical interactions between the protein molecules in the pathogens and the surface of the HB films. The present study reports important new properties of HB nanosheets and demonstrates their utility in protecting against the spread of disease on a pandemic scale.