Oxidation of Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins by Chlorine Dioxide. Implications for Water Treatment. In: Lichtfouse E, Schwarzbauer J, Robert D, editors. Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands; 2012. pp. 237-54. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2439-6_5]

Application of chlorine dioxide and its disinfection mechanism

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a strong oxidizing agent and an efficient disinfectant. Due to its broad-spectrum bactericidal properties, good inactivation effect on the vast majority of bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms, low resistance to drugs, and low generation of halogenated by-products, chlorine dioxide is widely used in fields such as water purification, food safety, medical and public health, and living environment. This review introduced the properties and application status of chlorine dioxide, compared the action mode, advantages and disadvantages of various disinfectants. The mechanism of chlorine dioxide inactivating bacteria, fungi and viruses were reviewed. The lethal target of chlorine dioxide to bacteria and fungi is to destroy the structure of cell membrane, change the permeability of cell membrane, and make intracellular substances flow out, leading to their death. The lethal targets for viruses are the destruction of viral protein capsids and the degradation of RNA fragments. The purpose of this review is to provide more scientific guidance for the application of chlorine dioxide disinfectants.

Inactivation of Spores and Vegetative Forms of Clostridioides difficile by Chemical Biocides: Mechanisms of Biocidal Activity, Methods of Evaluation, and Environmental Aspects

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are the most common cause of acquired diseases in hospitalized patients. Effective surface disinfection, focused on the inactivation of the spores of this pathogen, is a decisive factor in reducing the number of nosocomial cases of CDI infections. An efficient disinfection procedure is the result of both the properties of the biocidal agent used and the technology of its implementation as well as a reliable, experimental methodology for assessing the activity of the biocidal active substance based on laboratory models that adequately represent real clinical conditions. This study reviews the state of knowledge regarding the properties and biochemical basis of the action mechanisms of sporicidal substances, with emphasis on chlorine dioxide (ClO₂). Among the analyzed biocides, in addition to ClO₂, active chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and glutaraldehyde were characterized. Due to the relatively high sporicidal effectiveness and effective control of bacterial biofilm, as well as safety in a health and environmental context, the use of ClO₂ is an attractive alternative in the control of nosocomial infections of CD etiology. In terms of the methods of assessing the biocidal effectiveness, suspension and carrier standards are discussed.

Water depollution using metal-organic frameworks-catalyzed advanced oxidation processes: A review

This paper presents a review on the environmental applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are inorganic-organic hybrid highly porous crystalline materials, prepared from metal ion/clusters and multidentate organic ligands. The emphases are made on the enhancement of the performance of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) (photocatalysis, Fenton reaction methods, and sulfate radical (SO₄^-)-mediated oxidations) using MOFs materials. MOFs act as adsorption and light absorbers, leading to superior performance of photocatalytic processes. More recent examples of photocatalytic degradation of dyes are presented. Additionally, it is commonly shown that Fe-based MOFs exhibited excellent catalytic performance on the Fenton-based and SO₄^•--mediated oxidations of organic pollutants (e.g., dyes, phenol and pharmaceuticals). The significantly enhanced generation of reactive species such as OH and/or SO₄^- by both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis was proposed as the possible mechanism for water depollution. Based on the existing literature, the challenge and future perspectives in MOF-based AOPs are addressed.