Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties

Oil in transformer insulation systems critically safeguards grids, yet microbial contamination catastrophically compromises dielectric integrity, threatening grid resilience worldwide. To address this dual challenge of biocontamination and insulation degradation, we engineered bifunctional copper ox...

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Main Authors: Haidan Lin, Lijie Xu, Qunying Yu, Jiachang Guo, Dan Liu, Daiyong Yang, Jingyao Luan, Junbo Liu, Feilong Yi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIP Publishing LLC 2025-05-01
Series:AIP Advances
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0269819
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author Haidan Lin
Lijie Xu
Qunying Yu
Jiachang Guo
Dan Liu
Daiyong Yang
Jingyao Luan
Junbo Liu
Feilong Yi
author_facet Haidan Lin
Lijie Xu
Qunying Yu
Jiachang Guo
Dan Liu
Daiyong Yang
Jingyao Luan
Junbo Liu
Feilong Yi
author_sort Haidan Lin
collection DOAJ
description Oil in transformer insulation systems critically safeguards grids, yet microbial contamination catastrophically compromises dielectric integrity, threatening grid resilience worldwide. To address this dual challenge of biocontamination and insulation degradation, we engineered bifunctional copper oxide nanofluids (CuO NFs) through crystallographic tailoring and surface charge optimization. Two dominant actinomycetes (Mycoplana and Rothia), isolated from operational transformers, achieved up to 98.19% and 96.32% inactivation rates when exposed to CuO NFs, coupled with a 1.62-fold increase in AC breakdown voltage compared to base oil, owing to the designed monoclinic-phase CuO nanoparticles (+20.14 ± 1.5 mV) that disrupted microbial integrity via electrostatic adhesion and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which is the first demonstration of nanoscale ROS-mediated antimicrobial mechanisms in oil-immersed insulation systems. This work provides a robust strategy for the development of bifunctional NFs that mitigate microbial contamination and enhance insulating properties.
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id doaj-art-7802ff7f57fa49d49f3f9eb98e50f6ea
institution DOAJ
issn 2158-3226
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher AIP Publishing LLC
record_format Article
series AIP Advances
spelling doaj-art-7802ff7f57fa49d49f3f9eb98e50f6ea2025-08-20T03:20:35ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262025-05-01155055309055309-810.1063/5.0269819Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating propertiesHaidan Lin0Lijie Xu1Qunying Yu2Jiachang Guo3Dan Liu4Daiyong Yang5Jingyao Luan6Junbo Liu7Feilong Yi8Electric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaYingjun Middle School in Changchun, Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaElectric Power Research Institute, State Grid Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, ChinaOil in transformer insulation systems critically safeguards grids, yet microbial contamination catastrophically compromises dielectric integrity, threatening grid resilience worldwide. To address this dual challenge of biocontamination and insulation degradation, we engineered bifunctional copper oxide nanofluids (CuO NFs) through crystallographic tailoring and surface charge optimization. Two dominant actinomycetes (Mycoplana and Rothia), isolated from operational transformers, achieved up to 98.19% and 96.32% inactivation rates when exposed to CuO NFs, coupled with a 1.62-fold increase in AC breakdown voltage compared to base oil, owing to the designed monoclinic-phase CuO nanoparticles (+20.14 ± 1.5 mV) that disrupted microbial integrity via electrostatic adhesion and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which is the first demonstration of nanoscale ROS-mediated antimicrobial mechanisms in oil-immersed insulation systems. This work provides a robust strategy for the development of bifunctional NFs that mitigate microbial contamination and enhance insulating properties.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0269819
spellingShingle Haidan Lin
Lijie Xu
Qunying Yu
Jiachang Guo
Dan Liu
Daiyong Yang
Jingyao Luan
Junbo Liu
Feilong Yi
Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
AIP Advances
title Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
title_full Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
title_fullStr Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
title_full_unstemmed Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
title_short Dual-functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer: Synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
title_sort dual functional copper oxide nanofluids for transformer synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and insulating properties
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0269819
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