Kinetics and mechanism of nonradical disinfection of Escherichia coli by activation of peroxides with N-doped carbonaceous materials

Waterborne pathogenic microorganisms pose serious public health threats by causing gastrointestinal infections and disease outbreaks. However, conventional disinfection technologies suffer from limitations such as high equipment costs, the formation of chlorinated byproducts, and limited scalability. To address these challenges, we developed a heterogeneous oxidative system based on nitrogen-doped carbon materials (N-Cs) for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and efficient microbial inactivation. Using Escherichia coli ( E. coli) as a model pathogen, we demonstrate that the N-Cs /PMS system achieves rapid and effective disinfection via a non-radical, synergistic mechanism. Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is identified as the dominant reactive species, initiating a cascade of cellular damage including membrane dysfunction, genomic DNA degradation, and the induction of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., SOD, CAT). In addition, transcriptomic analysis reveals that 1 O 2 generated in the system perturb gene expression related to metabolic regulation and catalytic activity, thereby disrupting bacterial physiology at a systemic level. This work highlights the critical role of 1 O 2 in non-radical disinfection and provides mechanistic insights into PMS-based advanced oxidation processes for microbial control in water treatment applications.