According to the World Health Organisation, one of the main concerns of COVID-19 virus is its tenacity to spread from droplets that either land directly on a surface or are transmitted to a surface by an infected person. In this study, we report the potential of using superhydrophobic surfaces to combat the transmission and spread of fomites infected by COVID-19 virus strand. Fomites include clothes, utensils, furniture, regularly touched objects and personal protective equipment used by Health Care Workers to act as barriers against fluid transmission and/or fluid penetration. In this effort, we propose three strategies to combat the transmission and the spread of the virus: encapsulation, contamination suppression, and elimination. We believe that this can be achieved by the use of our recently developed superhydrophobic coating and regenerative monolith to encapsulate and suppress the virus. The newly developed superhydrophobic coating and monolith are scalable, economical, and facile with the monolith capable of regeneration. The elimination of the virus will be through the use of antiviral and antibacterial copper nanoparticles or dedicated copper surfaces.
Superhydrophobic
surfaces have been garnering increased interest because of their adaptive
characteristics. However, concerns regarding their durability and
complex fabrication techniques have limited their widespread adoption.
In our study, we have developed an effective, durable, and versatile
silica–silicone nanocomposite that can be applied through spray
coating or bulk synthesized as superhydrophobic monoliths through
a facile, economic, and scalable fabrication technique. For spray-coated
samples, superhydrophobicity was achieved for concentrations above
9%. However, poor adhesion was observed for concentrations above 20%.
Through extensive surface morphology studies, it was determined that
a delicate balance between the polymer and dispersed superhydrophobic
silica nanoparticles exists at a concentration of 14%. This concentration
is necessary for developing the desired hierarchical structure and
providing sufficient adhesion with the substrate. The monoliths were
fabricated into complex geometries, with superhydrophobicity being
observed in the 5 and 9% specimens. The hierarchical structure was
formed through controlled surface abrasion, which created the microscale
roughness and concurrently exposed the embedded silica nanoparticles.
It was found that a monolith with a concentration of 9% provides excellent
water repellency as well as a suitable emulsion viscosity to facilitate
the molding process. Though compressive loading (up to 10 MPa) damages
the monolith, the superhydrophobic performance can be quickly restored
through abrasive layer removal. Both spray-coated and monolith specimens
retained their superhydrophobicity after being subjected to high temperatures
(up to 350 °C) and corrosive environments (pH 1–13) for
2 h.
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