Laser-Induced Graphene Nanofibers Enable Bacteriophage MS2 Inactivation in Sub-Microseconds through Local Electric Field Enhancement

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) presents significant promise for the inactivation of bacteriophage MS2, a model enteric virus, primarily through electric field (EF)-driven effects. However, the precise mechanism underlying this disinfection process remains insufficiently understood. This study provides detailed mechanistic insights into the low-voltage disinfection potential of LIG for MS2 inactivation by integrating experimental analysis with computational simulations. COMSOL simulations revealed that LIG nanofibers can locally enhance EF beyond 107 V m–1 under low-voltage conditions to damage the viral capsid. Mechanical disruption of these nanofibers by crushing them into nonfibrous morphologies significantly reduced the EF intensity and disinfection efficiency, highlighting the critical role of nanofibers in enhancing EF-driven inactivation. Furthermore, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations provided insights into MS2 inactivation by LIG-amplified EFs. Exposure to EF over a 1 μs time scale induced irreversible conformational and structural destabilization of MS2’s maturation protein, a vital capsid component. The EF disrupted the spatial orientation of host-binding residues, destabilized hydrophobic pockets, and altered surface charge distributions to impede virus–host interactions and render the virus noninfectious. Thus, this work demonstrates submicrosecond inactivation of MS2 via EF-induced capsid disruption mediated by LIG nanofibers for the first time. These findings offer critical insights for advancing rapid, energy-efficient LIG-based disinfection technologies.