STTR Phase I: Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Surface Coating (COVID-19)

该小企业技术转让（STTR）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是最大限度地减少医院相关感染的数量，这些感染每年在美国造成近100，000人死亡，年成本超过30 B美元。减少病原体的表面传播可以限制致病性疾病的传播，因此最大限度地减少公共和医疗环境中受污染表面的传播至关重要。消毒剂可以杀灭病原体，但需要积极参与，这会给人员和环境带来不必要的负担;此外，成功率各不相同，结果也不会持久。目前大多数抗微生物材料价格昂贵，对人类和环境有毒，并且显示出最小的病毒灭活。自去污表面为这些限制提供了急需的解决方案，特别是在具有高接触表面和大量人口流动的区域。客户，从硬件和电梯制造商到医院和航空公司，将受益于一个有效，低成本，环保的解决方案，以消除污染和客户安全的条件，如目前的COVID-19疫情。 该项目对价值8 B美元的抗菌涂料市场具有潜在影响，同时改善了临床结果。该STTR第一阶段项目旨在证明一种突破性的永久性陶瓷涂层技术对病毒和细菌的有效性。 将合成超过环境保护局（EPA）要求的纯陶瓷涂层并沉积在相关基材上。实现这一目标的关键是了解微生物灭活的机制-被认为是陶瓷表面活性氧（ROS）的自发产生-以及如何在实际涂层中最大限度地提高它们。光谱技术将用于快速评估产生的ROS的数量和类型，从而评估材料的功效。优化将通过添加/取代目标碱金属、碱土金属、过渡金属和/或主族金属来控制材料的晶格并锁定特定价态以优化陶瓷产生大量适当活性氧物质的能力而发生。将针对病毒和细菌挑战进行测试，以将快速筛选评估结果与抗菌有效性相关联。该奖项反映了NSF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 Technology Transfer (STTR) project is to minimize the number of hospital-associated infections which contribute to almost 100,000 deaths each year in the US at an annual cost exceeding $30 B. Reducing the surface-borne transmission of pathogens can limit the spread of pathogenic diseases, thus minimizing transmission from contaminated surfaces in both public and healthcare settings is of utmost importance. Disinfectants can inactivate pathogens but require an active engagement that places undue burden on personnel and the environment; furthermore, the success rate varies, and the results do not persist. Most current antimicrobial materials are expensive, toxic to humans and the environment, and show minimal viral inactivation. Self-decontaminating surfaces provide a much-needed solution to these limitations, especially in areas with high-touch surfaces and large population flow. Customers, from hardware and elevator manufacturers to hospitals and airlines, will benefit from an effective, low-cost, environmentally sound solution to decontamination and customer safety for conditions such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. This project has potential impact for the $8 B antimicrobial coatings market, while delivering improved clinical outcomes. This STTR Phase I project proposes to demonstrate the efficacy of a breakthrough, permanent ceramic coating technology against both viruses and bacteria. A pure ceramic coating that exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) requirements will be synthesized and deposited on relevant substrates. The key to reaching this goal is gaining an understanding of the mechanism of microbial inactivation – believed to be the spontaneous generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface of the ceramic – and how to maximize them in a practical coating. Spectroscopic techniques will be used to rapidly assess the number and type of ROS generated and thus the efficacy of the materials. Optimization will occur through the addition/substitution of targeted alkali, alkaline earth, transition, and/or main-group metals to control the lattice of the material and lock-in specific valence states to optimize the ability of the ceramic to generate large numbers of the appropriate reactive oxygen species. Tests will be performed against both viral and bacterial challenges to correlate the results of the rapid screening assessment with antimicrobial effectiveness. Pure ceramic thin films will be deposited, and the antimicrobial efficacy of these films tested.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.