Development of multifunctional coatings with virucidal and antibacterial activity on hard surfaces, textiles and fabrics

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The spreading of a novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2020 demonstrated how world economies, social habits and human activities are not prepared to the diffusion of viruses or drug-resistant infections. Transmission through contaminated surfaces (fomites) is one of the many important contributors to the spread of some microorganisms as they are able to survive on surfaces for relatively long time. Hence, there is a need for materials that can inhibit the transmission of infections via surfaces. Although surface transmission has not been considered the primary culprit in the spread of SARS-CoV-2, this contamination factor cannot be treated lightly for other type of viruses and bacteria and therefore must be addressed to avoid future pathogenic outbreaks.Nanomaterials, being able to interact with pathogens on the micro and nanoscale, are a promising solution for their inactivation before entering the host system. The objective of this project is to develop micro/nanofillers having different virucidal and antibacterial properties, and to embed them in a polymer matrix.In particular, the project will (i) develop a porous microcapsule virucidal agent based on calcium hydroxide, (ii) develop virucidal and antibacterial functionalized Graphene Oxide with silver nanoparticles, (iii) incorporate the developed micro/nanomaterials in textiles produced by Nanophyll inc in order to obtain a highly durable multifunctional coatings which are able to target different pathogenic microorganisms via multiple active synergistic mechanisms, i.e. mechanical damage of the pathogen on the cell membrane, release of metal ions and production of an alkaline environment through release of calcium hydroxide. In the final stage, multifunctional coatings will be transferred onto different substrates ranging from hard surfaces to flexible textiles to enable a wide array of applications. The proposed methodology will optimize the process parameters through Design of Experiments (DoE). To evaluate the efficacy and durability of the generated coatings, the virucidal, antibacterial and accelerated aging properties will be tested.