Associate Professor Huo Zhengyang, from the School of Chemistry and Life Resources at Renmin University of China (RUC), co-authors a review article published in Nature Reviews Clean Technology.

Associate Professor Huo Zhengyang from the School of Chemistry and Life Resources at Renmin University of China (RUC), together with Kim Sang-Woo, academician from Yonsei University, South Korea, recently published a significant review article titled "Contact electrification-induced personal sanitation" in the internationally renowned journal Nature Reviews Clean Technology.

The article proposes a series of compact disinfection devices that require no external power and no chemical agents. These devices could effectively fill gaps in municipal disinfection systems in under-resourced areas, providing strong protection for residents' health and safety. The authors systematically review various types of disinfection devices suitable for different scenarios, green antimicrobial mechanisms and environmental energy harvesting methods, offering new strategies for ensuring personal hygiene in dispersed communities and emergency relief situations where infrastructure is limited.

Microbial disinfection driven by contact electrification enables instant, zero-energy and zero-chemical sanitation. [Photo provided to ruc.edu.cn]

The article analyzes the opportunities and challenges in translating this technology from the laboratory to practical application, considering material design, cost-effectiveness, durability and scenario adaptability. The authors emphasize the importance of constructing a "multi-barrier system for microbial safety" and provide both theoretical and technical support for safeguarding public health, in line with the strategic goals of Healthy China 2030.

About Huo Zhengyang: Huo is an associate professor at the School of Chemistry and Life Resources and a researcher at the Institute of Ecological Civilization, Renmin University of China. Huo has long been engaged in research on biological pollution control in water environments and has published 42 SCI papers, including 20 with an impact factor greater than 10. He has published papers as first or corresponding author in top international journals such as Nature Water, Nature Reviews Clean Technology, Nature Communications, Science Advances, and Environmental Science & Technology.

Huo Zhengyang

Article Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44359-025-00100-x