Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Viroblock/ZnO/PAN Hybrid Antiviral Nanocomposite for Personal Protective Applications

Abstract

Designing novel antiviral personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial for preventing viral infections such as COVID-19 in humans. Here, we fabricate an electrospun nanofiber-based Viroblock (VB)-loaded polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/zinc oxide (ZnO) hybrid nanocomposite for PPE applications. Five different concentrations of Viroblock (0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5%, and 5%) were added to PAN/ZnO solution and loaded for electrospinning. The developed samples reflected antibacterial activity of 92.59% and 88.64% against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, respectively, with 5% VB loading. Moreover, a significant reduction in virus titer (37%) was observed with the 5% VB/PAN/ZnO nanofiber sheet. Hence, VB-loaded PAN/ZnO nanofibers have great potential to kill enveloped viruses such as influenzas and coronaviruses and could be the ideal candidate for the development of nanofiber-based PPE, such as facemasks and surgical gowns, which can play a key role in the protection of frontline health workers and the general public in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of Electrospun Recycled PET Polymeric Fibers Functionalized with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

“…However, it should be noted that some studies have indicated a high toxicity of ZnO-NPs to human cells at relatively high concentrations and low particle sizes [69]. Indeed, ZnO has shown properties against intestinal diseases by protecting intestinal cells from Escherichia coli infection by inhibiting bacterial adhesion and internalization [70].…”

Membranes for the life sciences and their future roles in medicine

“…In 1983, William has pointed that the membrane filter technology can be used for the separations of particles, bacteria, viruses, macromolecules and ions ranging from 0.1 to 10 μm in liquids [166] . With the rapid growth of market demand, membranes especially the nanofiber membranes have been widely used in textiles industry due to their porous structure and large surface to volume ratio, which can both filter particles and absorb chemical contaminants [167] , [168] , [169] , [170] , [171] . From 2019 to present, these products effectively prevent the plague transmission of COVID-19 which have posed a severe threat to human life.…”

ALD based nanostructured zinc oxide coated antiviral silk fabric

“…Inorganic nanoparticles exhibit antioxidative behavior, such as cerium oxide nanoparticles 4,[8][9][10][11] and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. [12][13][14][15][16] ZnO is an economical option for this application because it is not a rare earth oxide, which helps in cost and availability. As such, ZnO is the material we are investigating in the current work.…”