Synergistic Disinfection of Photocatalytic Nanomaterials Exposed to UVC, Electricity and Magnetic Fields Against Candida albicans

Nosocomial infections caused by Candida albicans pose serious challenges to healthcare systems due to their persistence on medical surfaces and resistance to conventional disinfectants. This study evaluates antifungal properties of SnO2 doped with silver and cuprite nanoparticles and WO3 thin films, as well as cobalt (CoFe2O4) and cobalt–nickel (Co0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4) ferrite nanoparticles, activated by ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation, direct electric current (up to 100 V), and magnetic fields. SnO2 films were synthesized by Spray Pyrolysis and WO3 by Sputtering deposition, Ferrites nanoparticles by sol–gel, while metallic nanoparticles were synthetized via chemical reduction. Characterization consisted mainly of SEM, TEM, and XRD, and their antimicrobial activity was tested against C. albicans. WO3 films achieved 86.2% fungal inhibition after 5 min of UVC exposure. SnO2 films doped with nanoparticles reached 100% inhibition when combined with UVC and 100 V. Ferrite nanoparticles alone showed moderate activity (21.9%–40.4%) but exhibited strong surface adhesion to fungal cells, indicating potential for magnetically guided antifungal therapies. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using multifunctional nanomaterials for rapid, non-chemical disinfection. The materials are low-cost, scalable, and adaptable to hospital settings, making them promising candidates for reducing healthcare-associated fungal infections through advanced surface sterilization technologies.