SBIR Phase I: COVID-19-impermeable high-performance porous coatings for respiratory personal protective equipment

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力包括开发新的口罩涂层和n95级呼吸器过滤片。外层将排斥病毒颗粒，内层将吸附水分，使口罩佩戴舒适，并有助于在COVID-19大流行期间保持社交距离。该涂层具有高效的功能，提供可靠的保护，并且经久耐用。这项技术也非常有希望应用于其他类型的个人防护设备，如长袍、窗帘、医疗围裙，以及一次性医疗设备的涂层。除医疗行业外，该平台在其他商品、药品配方和个人护理产品方面也具有潜在优势。该SBIR一期项目建议开发创新配方，用于在纺织品表面沉积用于个人防护装备的高性能超疏水和超亲水涂层。该技术的创新之处在于制造出具有超高表面积和异常强附着力的新型枝状聚合物颗粒。将聚合物溶液注入湍流剪切的抗溶剂介质中形成软枝状胶体。聚合物溶液液滴被湍流的反溶剂流动随机拉伸，导致聚合物以软枝晶结构的形式沉淀。关键的技术障碍是大规模制造具有分形形态的软枝晶颗粒。技术目标是：1)在实验规模上开发一种高效的基于液体的软枝晶胶体制造工艺；2)使用一系列形态学、过滤效率和透气性测试来表征涂有新配方的纺织品。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project encompasses development new coatings for face masks and filtration pieces for N95-grade respirators. The outer layer will repel the viral particles while the inner layer will adsorb moisture, making the mask comfortable for wear and assisting with social distancing compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The coatings are efficient in their function, provide reliable protection, and are durable. This technology is also highly promising for applications in other types of personal protective equipment such as gowns, drapes, medical aprons, as well as coatings on disposable medical devices. Apart from the medical sector, this platform has potential advantages for other goods, pharmaceutical formulations, and personal care products. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop innovative formulations for deposition of high-performance superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic coatings on textile surfaces for personal protective equipment. The technical innovation is fabrication of novel dendritic polymer particles with extraordinary high surface area and unusually strong adhesivity. The soft dendritic colloids are formed when a polymer solution is injected into turbulently sheared anti-solvent medium. Random stretching of the polymer solution droplets by the turbulent anti-solvent flow causes the polymer to precipitate in the form of soft dendritic structures. The critical technical hurdle is scaling manufacturing of large volumes of soft dendritic particles with fractal morphology. Technical objectives are: 1) develop an efficient liquid-based process for soft dendritic colloids fabrication on a bench scale; and 2) characterize textiles coated with the new formulations using a series of morphological, filtration efficiency, and breathability tests.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.