Silica nanocomposite enables self-disinfecting surfaces that activate on demand A responsive silica nanocomposite generates biocidal oxygen species only when microbes alter local chemistry, allowing durable, trigger-free self-sterilizing surfaces. (Nanowerk News) A surface capable of responding to chemical signals generated by microorganisms and automatically producing biocidal substances – this is not a futuristic vision, but a description of how the B-STING silica nanocomposite works. The answer is yes, if they are covered with a thin layer of a carefully designed silica nanocomposite, in whose mesopores molecular factories of reactive oxygen species are placed. Structure of the B-STING material. Years of research are necessary before therapies involving the use of drugs containing B-STING silica nanocomposite become available.