Rechargeable potent antiviral facemasks with a novel quaternized N-chloramine (Lab2Market)

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Respirators and face masks such as N-95 respirators and surgical masks have become ubiquitous as a control measure to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted several issues with currently available face masks. Since existing mask designs do not actively kill SARS-CoV-2, there is a risk of contact transmission after touching contaminated PPE. SARS-CoV-2 has been demonstrated to survive on various surfaces: on an N-95 mask the virus persists up to 21 days. Consumption of disposable facemasks also raises environmental concerns due to rapid waste generation. Our proposed solution is a reusable facemask endowed with rechargeable antiviral properties which offers a variety of benefits, including active killing of a SARS-CoV-2, reduced risk of contamination during handling and reduced waste. Our group has developed proprietary N-chloramine based antimicrobials which can be covalently bonded to textiles to endow them with self-disinfecting properties. The N-chloramine structure binds oxidative chlorine, which can transfer to microbes such as SARS-CoV-2 through direct contact to cause rapid death. The antimicrobial activity can be recharged by exposing the textile to dilute household bleach. Our novel N-chloramine technology utilizes two added quaternary ammonium groups in the structure to achieve more efficient binding of oxidative chlorine compared to previous N-chloramine technologies. Furthermore, our textiles are durable to 50 laundering cycles while retaining antiviral activity. This is an improvement over commercially available antiviral facemasks with impregnated antiviral compounds which leach out during washing. We are currently developing a three-layer facemask which incorporates our breakthrough N-chloramine technology to "trap and zap" SARS-CoV-2 in the airstream. Our N-chloramine will be incorporated in both the outer cotton layer of the mask and an electrospun nanofibrous filtration membrane to be inserted into the middle pocket of the mask. The antiviral activity of the mask can be recharged via home laundering with bleach, which creates a reusable, effective and environmentally friendly alternative to the masks available on the market.