Hydroxyl radicals are known to be important in the activity of some disinfectants, because they attack essential cell components in bacteria (both gram negative and positive) and oxidise the surface structures of viruses. Hydroxyl radicals disrupt the lipid envelope and/or capsid around the virus, causing lysing. They also penetrate the virus’s interior and disrupt the genome. These actions inactivate the virus. The disinfectant properties of hydrogen peroxide arise from these mechanisms.
