Development of Advanced Graphene-Based Antiviral Nanocomposites against COVID-19

新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的爆发是对全球人类的严重威胁。就对几乎所有职业的经济和个人造成的压力而言，这次大流行及其相关封锁的全球影响是前所未有的。众所周知，COVID-19是一种呼吸道感染，可以通过雾化的小飞沫在人与人之间传播。如果人们吸入这些具有潜在传染性、携带病毒的飞沫，或接触受污染的物体或表面，就可能直接感染COVID-19。为减少飞沫传播的风险，可将口罩作为主要屏障。然而，为应对COVID-19大流行的一线工作人员和卫生保健专业人员提供的n95级呼吸器口罩严重短缺。此外，据报道，SARS-CoV-2病毒的寿命根据表面的不同在4至72小时之间。因此，开发具有增强抗病毒性能的可重复使用口罩非常重要。该项目的目标是开发具有强大抗病毒和抗菌活性的先进功能石墨烯基纳米复合材料。该项目基于我们最近与ZEN石墨烯解决方案有限公司合作的NSERC CRD / OCE VIP II项目。所提出的功能纳米复合材料可以涂覆在各种材料上，为制造新型可重复使用的掩模创造一种先进的过滤器。制备的石墨烯基纳米复合材料层不仅可以过滤颗粒，还可以与冠状病毒结合并消毒。除口罩外，对其他个人防护装备（PPE）的需求也很大，例如用于保护一线工作人员的面罩和围裙。然而，这些个人防护装备大多由塑料制成，SARS-CoV-2病毒可以在塑料上存活长达72小时，这与经常使用个人防护装备相关，具有很高的风险。所提出的功能石墨烯基纳米复合材料可以作为抗病毒层涂覆在个人防护装备上，有效消毒冠状病毒，从而为患者和医护人员提供更安全的环境。因此，可以大大减少病毒的传播。

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a serious threat to humanity worldwide. The global implications of this pandemic and its associated lockdown are unprecedented in terms of the strain on economies and individuals in almost all occupations. It is known that COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, which can be transmitted from person to person via small aerosolized droplets. People may directly contract COVID-19 if they inhale these potentially infective, virus laden respiratory droplets, or come into contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. To reduce the risk of droplet transmission, face masks can serve as a primary barrier. However, there is a significant shortage of N95-rated respirator masks for front-line workers and health care professionals who are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the life span of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is reported to be between 4 and 72 hours depending on the surface. Hence, it is important to develop a re-usable face mask with enhanced antiviral properties. The goal of this project is to develop advanced functional graphene-based nanocomposites with robust antiviral and antibacterial activities. This project builds on our recent NSERC CRD / OCE VIP II project collaborated with ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. The proposed functional nanocomposites can be coated onto various materials to create an advanced filter for the fabrication of novel re-usable masks. The fabricated graphene-based nanocomposite layer not only filters out particulates, but also binds with and disinfects coronavirus. In addition to face masks, there also exists an immense demand for other personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face shields and aprons to protect front-line workers. However, most of these PPE are comprised of plastics that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can survive on for up to 72 hours, which poses a high risk associated with the regular use of PPE. The proposed functional graphene-based nanocomposites can be coated onto the PPE as an antiviral layer to effectively disinfect coronavirus, thereby providing a safer environment for both patients and health care professionals. Consequently, the spread of the virus can be significantly reduced.