SBIR Phase I: COVID-19: Self-Disinfecting Nanofiber Filters and Reusable Facemasks

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是展示一种安全、舒适和可重复使用的高质量自消毒口罩，并将在当前的COVID-19大流行期间产生直接影响。现代口罩中使用的过滤介质要么在过滤亚微米尺寸的病毒方面效率低下，要么难以呼吸并且非常不舒服。病毒可以在口罩上活跃长达一周。由于存在污染的可能性且没有自我消毒功能，口罩必须在一次性使用后丢弃。高效自消毒过滤技术的提出将解决这些问题。可重复使用性还将直接解决面罩供应短缺以及废物处理问题。 从长远来看，这项技术可以进一步应用于窗户屏幕，用于阻挡和消毒空气中的病原体颗粒。自消毒功能可适用于其他人员防护设备以及环境自消毒和食品包装，这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种创新的过滤介质，用于颠覆性的口罩技术，通过纳米颗粒有效地捕获包括病毒在内的亚微米颗粒，该功能化过滤垫具有高过滤效率并且薄且气流阻力低。 该技术还将通过在原位灭活病原体， 纳米颗粒的环境光致光催化消毒功能以及随后的协同效应，包括对病毒膜及其RNA/DNA的物理和化学破坏。功能化催化剂吸收环境光，产生活性氧物质来消毒病原体，而等离子体效应增强光吸收。带电纳米颗粒牢固地嵌入电纺纳米纤维上，并且所产生的表面不规则性、改进的电荷密度和亲水性吸收通过气溶胶颗粒的机械和静电捕获进一步提高过滤和捕获效率。综上所述，所有这些效果可能会导致一个高效，透气，可重复使用的口罩与原位自我消毒功能，以打击高度传染性的病毒和广泛的病原体。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a demonstration of a high-quality, self-disinfecting facemask, which is safe, comfortable, and reusable, and will have an immediate impact during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The filter media used in modern facemasks are either inefficient in filtrating submicron size viruses or are difficult to breathe through and highly uncomfortable. Viruses can be active on a facemask for up to one week. With the possibility of contamination and without a self-disinfection function, facemasks must be disposed of after single use. The proposed highly efficient and self-disinfecting filtration technology will solve these problems. The reusability will also directly address the facemask supply shortage as well as waste disposal issue. In the long term, this technology may be further applied as window screens for blocking and disinfecting airborne pathogen particles. The self-disinfection function could be adapted for other personnel protective equipment as well as for environment self-disinfection and for food packaging, etc.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an innovative filtration medium for a disruptive facemask technology by effectively capturing submicron particles including viruses via a nanoparticle-functionalized nanofiber mat that has high filtration efficiency and is thin with low air flow resistance. The technology will also deactivate pathogens in-situ via the ambient, light-enabled, photocatalytic disinfection function of nanoparticles and the subsequent synergetic effects that include physical and chemical disruption of virus membranes and their RNA/DNA. The functionalized catalysts absorb ambient light, producing reactive oxygen species to disinfect pathogens, while the plasmonic effects enhance the light absorption. The charged nanoparticles are firmly embedded on the electrospun nanofibers, and the resulted surface irregularity, the improved charge density, and the hydrophilic absorption further boost the filtration and trapping efficiency through mechanical and electrostatic capture of aerosol particles. Taken together, all these effects may lead to a highly efficient, breathable, reusable facemask with in-situ self-disinfection functionality to combat highly infectious viruses and a broad spectrum of pathogens.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.