Oliver Sonntag is the CEO of Nano-Care Deutschland AG, a company which has developed an antimicrobial coating using nanotechnology. This coating, Liquid Guard, lasts for a very long time and preserves the treated item, helping it keep its value. It also keeps surfaces sanitised and makes it easier to clean.

Oliver, how does Liquid Guard work?

The nanotechnology essentially forms a layer of very sharp molecules on the surface of the liquid, which forms something like a wall of spikes. These molecular spikes rupture the cell walls of bacteria and other microorganisms, killing them.

What is the advantage of this over traditional antibacterial coatings?

Well, first of all, it lasts a lot longer than antibacterial solutions that rely on chemicals! Apart from this benefit, by physically attacking microbes we avoid the chance that a bacteria could mutate and evolve to be resistant to the chemical agents that antibacterial wipes rely on. Because Liquid Guard physically destroys the cell walls of the microbe there is no chance of evolving any resistance.

How long does the coating last for?

That depends on the surface and how often it is used. You will need to reapply Liquid Guard to doorhandles and toilets every year, as these are touched a lot and eventually the surface coating might come off. For items that are touched and washed less frequently you can leave it longer between applications – although after abrasive polishing, you should reapply.

Where can Liquid Guard be used?

You can put it on any surface, although we are still in the process of getting it approved for use on medical technology and instruments. It does not damage your skin, and is great for use in homes and offices – or anywhere else for that matter!

Does an expert need to apply it?

No! Anybody can apply the Liquid Guard coating. The product comes in both wet wipe and liquid form, and can be wiped onto any surface by anyone the same way as you would wipe on any antibacterial product. You will need to leave the surface for 6 hours before you use it, but that’s the process.

Does Liquid Guard kill every kind of microbe?

We haven’t found any pathogens that are resistant to the coating yet. More than 99.9% of microbes were destroyed in testing, which qualifies as a “total kill” under Japanese standards. The test involves treating different surfaces with Liquid Guard, then attaching large numbers of different microbial colonies to the surface and seeing how many are destroyed.

This applied even to surfaces that were treated, then had a year of normal usage simulated on them.

Can it be dangerous?

No. As a part of our testing process we coated plastic sheets with Liquid Guard and then applied them to the backs of 30 students for 3 days (of course if there had been any reaction they would have been removed immediately). The subjects rated the product as “excellent”, meaning it did not damage their skin at all – even with 72 hours of continuous contact.