Cotton Fabrics Decorated with Antimicrobial Ag-Coated TiO₂ Nanoparticles Are Unable to Fully and Rapidly Eradicate SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

The successful development of multifunctional cotton fabrics with antimicrobial and antiviral activities is essential to prevent the proliferation of microorganisms and transmission of coronavirus virions today, especially with the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. In this work, we developed antimicrobial cotton fabrics with Ag/TiO 2 nanoparticles synthesized via sonochemistry. Here, we show that more than 50% of infectious SARS-CoV-2 remain active after prolonged direct contact self-disinfecting materials capable of inhibiting the proliferation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . The findings bring several epidemiologic worries about using silver and TiO 2 as self-disinfecting nanostructured agents to prevent coronavirus transmission.

Antimicrobial Performance of Bioinspired PLA Fabricated via One-Step Plasma Etching with Silver and Copper

“…coli do not form a continuous film on the PLA surfaces. A low amount of bacterial cells adheres on the PLA sample etched during 120 s, which can be directly connected with the highest silver and copper contents on the PLA surface, even though the bacterial adhesion is a multifactorial process that depends on surface free energy, the presence of electrical charges on surface, surface topography, wettability, and bacterial cell type, among other factors. − This also explains why 97% of the adherent bacteria cells are dead on the surface of this PLA sample due to the oxidative stress associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) combined with local ion release by the metals. , Then, the metal atoms on the PLA surface play a critical role in preventing bacterial biofilm formation because ROS causes irreversible damage to biological molecules (lipids, proteins, RNA, and DNA) that are essential functional and structural constituents of the bacteria cell. ,, …”

Questioning ZnO, Ag, and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents for textiles: Do they guarantee total protection against bacteria and SARS-CoV-2?

“…These samples submitted to the incubation process with the fabrics were applied on antigen-detecting rapid test and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test kit (Roche) (reference 9901-ncov-01 g) was applied to detect the presence of antigens in the samples studied [ 25 ]. Three drops of the sample “mix” were placed in the place indicated on the cassette using the “accessories” that make up the kit to visualize, following the manufacturer guide.…”

Recent Advances in Functionalization of Cotton Fabrics with Nanotechnology

“…Silva et al [ 107 ] developed antimicrobial and antiviral cotton fabrics with Ag/TiO 2 NPs synthesized by sonochemistry using AgNO 3 and trisodium citrate as a reductant and stabilizer. More than 50% of infectious SARS-CoV-2 remains active after prolonged direct contact with self-disinfecting materials that inhibits the proliferation of E. coli and S. aureus .…”