Electrocatalytic generation of reactive species and implications in microbial inactivation

Controlling microbial proliferation in water systems, including wastewater, recreational water, and drinking water, is essential to societal health. Microbial inactivation through electrochemically generated reactive species (RS) mediated pathways provides an effective route toward this microbial control. Herein we provide an overview of recent progress toward electrocatalytic generation of RS and their application in water disinfection, with a focus on the selective production of RS, the microorganism interactions with RS (including both RS mechanisms of action and innate microorganism responses to RS), and practical implementation of electrochemically generated RS for microbial inactivation. The article is concluded with a perspective where the challenges and opportunities of RS-based electrochemical disinfection of water are highlighted, along with possible future research directions. (c) 2022, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Controlling microbial proliferation in water systems is crucial for societal health, and electrochemically generated reactive species (RS) provide an effective method for microbial control. This article provides an overview of the progress in electrocatalytic generation of RS and their application in water disinfection. The selective production of RS, the interactions between RS and microorganisms, and the practical implementation of electrochemically generated RS for microbial inactivation are discussed. The article concludes by highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and future research directions in RS-based electrochemical disinfection of water.