Nanocoatings: Universal antiviral surface solution against COVID-19

Abstract

In the current scenario, there is critical global demand for the protection of daily handling surfaces from the viral contamination to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection. The nanotechnologists and material scientists offer sustainable solutions to develop antiviral surface coatings for various substrates including fabrics, plastics, metal, wood, food stuffs etc. to face current pandemic period. They create or propose antiviral surfaces by coating them with nanomaterials which interact with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to inhibit the viral entry to the host cell. Such nanomaterials involve metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, hierarchical metal/metal oxide nanostructures, electrospun polymer nanofibers, graphene nanosheets, chitosan nanoparticles, curcumin nanoparticles, etched nanostructures etc. The antiviral mechanism involves the repletion (depletion) of the spike glycoprotein that anchors to surfaces by the nanocoating and makes the spike glycoprotein and viral nucleotides inactive. The nature of interaction between the nanomaterial and virus depends on the type nanostructure coating over the surface. It was found that functional coating materials can be developed using nanomaterials as their polymer nanocomposites. The various aspects of antiviral nanocoatings including the mechanism of interaction with the Corona Virus, the different type of nanocoatings developed for various substrates, future research areas, new opportunities and challenges are reviewed in this article.

TCID50 Measurements of anti-viral efficacy on metal printed masks and plastic surfaces

“…The zinc-printed fabric and PET both did not display a significant antiviral effect. Zinc has been shown to have some anti-viral abilities (20,21,37), that were not corroborated in this study, perhaps due to differences in formulation or concentration of zinc utilized. We expected to see an increased log reduction after the second hour based on results published in previous literature (11).…”

“…(4). High-touch areas like healthcare centers, public spaces, and homes were also potential sources of transmission (37). While frequent disinfection can eliminate surface contamination, making them anti-viral by design would help limit transmission.…”

“…While frequent disinfection can eliminate surface contamination, making them anti-viral by design would help limit transmission. Coating with anti-viral materials like metal can add additional protection by killing viral particles on PPE surfaces (37). This study determined that copper and silver printed masks and PET surfaces can reduce the viral titer after only 1 hour of exposure.…”

Nanoparticles and essential oils with antiviral activity on packaging and surfaces: An overview of their selection and application

“…Nevertheless, toxicity issues related to the inhalation of such NPs have limited their used. Others types of functionalized antiviral fabrics that could be used in clothing or PPE have been reviewed recently (Vijayan et al, 2022). 2.…”

“…Nevertheless, toxicity issues related to the inhalation of such NPs have limited their used. Others types of functionalized antiviral fabrics that could be used in clothing or PPE have been reviewed recently (Vijayan et al, 2022). Sunscreens and lotions : ZnO NPs have been proposed as components of various sunscreen formulations due to their inorganic UV filter properties (Asok et al, 2015).…”