Mechano-Induced Assembly of a Nanocomposite for "Press-N-Go" Coatings with Highly Efficient Surface Disinfection

Using antimicrobial coatings to control the spread of pathogenic microbes is appreciated in public and healthcare settings, but the performance of most antimicrobial coatings could not fulfill the increasing requirements, particularly the ease of preparation, high durability, rapid response, and high killing efficiency. Herein, we develop a new type of mechano-induced assembly of nanocomposite coating by simple "Press-N-Go" procedures on various substrates such as glassware, gloves, and fabrics, in which the coating shows strong adhesion, high shear stability, and high stiffness, making it durable in daily use to withstand common mechanical deformation and scratches. The coating also shows remarkable disinfection effectiveness over 99.9% to clinically significant multiple drug-resistant bacterial pathogens upon only 6 s near-infrared irradiation, which can be further improved to over 99.9999% upon another 6 s treatment. We envision that the coating can provide convenience and values to control pathogen spread for easily contaminated substrates in high-risk areas.