“Ultraviolet LEDs prove effective in eliminating coronavirus from surfaces and, potentially, air and water”

[Wally]

Edit - To add the source of this article. Sorry it apparently dropped off when I was formatting this post.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200414173251.htm - Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California - Santa Barbara. Original written by Sonia Fernandez.
See, also - AlGaN Deep-Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes Grown on SiC Substrates. ACS Photonics, 2020; 7 (3): 554 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.9b00600

Ultraviolet LEDs prove effective in eliminating coronavirus from surfaces and, potentially, air and water

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Date: April 14, 2020

Source: University of California - Santa Barbara

Summary: Researchers are developing ultraviolet LEDs that have the ability to decontaminate surfaces -- and potentially air and water -- that have come in contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.


As COVID-19 continues to ravage global populations, the world is singularly focused on finding ways to battle the novel coronavirus. That includes the UC Santa Barbara's Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center (SSLEEC) and member companies. Researchers there are developing ultraviolet LEDs that have the ability to decontaminate surfaces -- and potentially air and water -- that have come in contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. . . .

Before the COVID-19 pandemic gained global momentum, materials scientists at SSLEEC were already at work advancing UV-C LED technology. This area of the electromagnetic spectrum is a relatively new frontier for solid-state lighting; UV-C light is more commonly generated via mercury vapor lamps and, according to Zollner, "many technological advances are needed for the UV LED to reach its potential in terms of efficiency, cost, reliability and lifetime." . . ,

For the moment, however, it's a game of patience, as Zollner and colleagues wait out the pandemic. Research at UC Santa Barbara has slowed to a trickle to minimize person-to-person contact.

"Our next steps, once research activities resume at UCSB, is to continue our work on improving our AlGaN/SiC platform to hopefully produce the world's most efficient UV-C light emitters," he said. . . .

 

[PatJ]

The BBC has an article about UV-C being used for disinfection of some surfaces to eliminate coronaviruses. It also discusses why UV-C shouldn't be used on people.

 

[Hip]

Germicidal ultraviolet light does work, but cannot penetrate into cloth material, so would not be useful for disinfecting face masks for example.

 

[nyanko_the_sane]

Science!!

 

[hopeforaday22]

Would the other kinds of lights also work, such as Infrared Light ?