LEAPS-MPS: Metal-Free Carbons as Efficient Antibacterial Materials

LEAPS-MPS：作为抗菌材料的无金属杂原子掺杂碳-技术摘要废水系统中的细菌污染对公众健康构成严重威胁。由于社会的快速工业化和城市化，有效的水处理至关重要，饮用水应该是不含粪便和总大肠菌群的。本项目旨在研究掺硫或/和含氮物种的多孔炭材料的抗菌活性。这将为这些无金属材料在抗菌研究中打开一个新的视角。通过将碳的性质与其抑制细菌的性能联系起来，将确定碳的最有效的特征。为什么这些物种是有效的也将被探索。该项目将为高效无金属抗菌材料的长期材料开发奠定坚实的基础。无金属材料为水处理过程提供了降低成本的优势。此外，如果它们具有有效的抗菌效果，则可以潜在地应用于现有的过滤系统。该项目将提供一支职业生涯早期的教师队伍，以开发研究实验室并启动研究计划。它还将帮助本科生实现他们的教育和职业目标，特别是那些来自代表不足的少数群体的学生。技术总结本跨学科项目旨在系统研究杂原子掺杂多孔炭材料的抗菌活性。主要研究碳的表面化学和织构性质与其抑菌性能之间的关系。采用原位掺杂或后处理的方法，可制备出一系列掺杂多孔炭，并对其进行硫基或氮基掺杂功能化。由于大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌分别是革兰氏阳性菌和革兰氏阴性菌中最常见的细菌，因此特别选择它们进行检测。碳的抑菌率将被计算出来。碳基材料上细菌的典型失活途径是氧化应激。通过鉴定碳产生的活性氧物种(ROS)的类型来探索抗菌过程的机理。材料将通过X射线光电子能谱分析、热分析、孔隙率分析、电位滴定和电子显微镜成像进行深入的表征。该项目将专注于确定在抑制细菌方面有效的掺杂剂种类，从而将碳材料确立为有效的抗菌材料。对于光活性碳，其抗菌活性和机制也将在可见光辐射下进行评估。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

LEAPS-MPS: Metal-Free Heteroatom-Doped Carbons as Antibacterial MaterialsNON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Bacterial contamination in wastewater systems presents a significant threat to public health. Effective water treatment is crucial due to society's rapid industrialization and urbanization, and drinkable water should be fecal and total coliforms free. This project aims to investigate the antibacterial activity of porous carbon materials that are doped with sulfur or/and nitrogen-containing species. It will open a new perspective on these metal-free materials in antibacterial studies. By linking the properties of the carbon to their performance in bacterial inhibition, the most effective features of the carbons will be identified. Why these species are effective will be explored too. This project will lay a solid foundation for the long-term material development of potent metal-free antibacterial materials. Metal-free materials offer the advantage of reduced cost for the water treatment process. Besides, they can be potentially applied to the existing filtration systems if they possess effective antibacterial effects. The project will provide an early-career faculty to develop a research lab and launch research programs. It will also help the undergraduate students achieve their educational and career goals, especially those from underrepresented minority groups. TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis interdisciplinary project is to investigate the antibacterial activity of heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials systematically. The relationship between the properties (surface chemistry and texture) of carbons and their performance in bacterial inhibition will be mainly studied. By using in-situ doping or post-treatment methods, a series of doped-porous carbons will be prepared and functionalized of doping sulfur or/and nitrogen groups. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are specifically selected for testing since they are the most prevalent species of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The bacteriostasis rate of the carbons will be calculated. A typical inactivation pathway for bacteria on a carbon-based material is oxidation stress. The mechanism of the antibacterial process will be explored by identifying the types of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from the carbons. The materials will be intensively characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, thermal analysis, porosity analysis, potentiometric titration, and electron microscopy imaging. The project will focus on identifying dopant species that are efficient in bacterial inhibition, thus establishing carbon materials as effective antibacterial materials. For the photoactive carbons, their antibacterial activity and mechanism will also be evaluated under visible light radiation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.