Japanese scientists have developed a new disinfectant coating that can be used to protect against viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, Scientific Reports noted.

The need for such a coating arose due to the characteristics of the spread of coronavirus, which, as you know, can be transmitted by airborne droplets and settle on surfaces. Chemicals commonly used for disinfection, such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, evaporate quickly enough that surfaces must be constantly disinfected.

The development of scientists from Nara Medical University, Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology and Tokyo Institute of Technology is a photocatalyst made using a combination of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and copper oxide (CuO) nanoclusters. It is capable of destroying various variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. In addition, unlike earlier versions, the development is effective both in the dark and under indoor lighting.