RAPID: Superhydrophobic and Photocatalytic Antimicrobial (SPA) Coatings

2019冠状病毒病大流行在全球范围内造成了巨大的社会经济、教育、政治和文化影响。尽管目前采取了相关措施，但据最新预测，美国新冠肺炎死亡人数将超过10万人。世界卫生组织认为，新冠肺炎的主要传播途径是接触被患者咳嗽或呼气时释放的小飞沫污染的表面。导致COVID-19的病毒（SARS-CoV-2）在不锈钢表面上可保持长达72小时的传染性，目前缺乏疫苗和有效的抗病毒药物，因此探索打破病毒传播链的新方法至关重要。该项目的重点是设计、初步实验室和现场测试一种喷涂技术，该技术可以应用于各种表面，既可以击退携带病毒的液滴，又可以光催化灭活附着在涂层表面的病毒病原体。更广泛地说，该项目支持表面涂层技术和催化领域的研究生和本科生培训，并使当地医院和大学医学研究机构参与评估涂层技术在防治各种空气传播病原体方面的功效。具体来说，该研究调查了超疏水和光催化抗菌（SPA）涂层的病原体抑制效果，这是一组可喷涂材料，通过它们的组合作用模式，可以赋予各种表面（如金属、混凝土、陶瓷、玻璃和木材）自消毒特性，以帮助防止病毒、细菌和其他病原体的传播，持续时间从几个月到几年。SPA涂层代表了一种新的双管齐下的方法来排斥和灭活病毒病原体。该涂层由纳米tio2和氧化锌硅氧烷修饰的超疏水层组成，用于排斥呼吸道飞沫，从而最大限度地减少病原体在表面停留的能力，同时也便于清洁程序。超疏水层与TiO2、ZnO和ti -磷酸层混合，具有光催化活性。光催化材料有可能通过释放羟基自由基使任何残留在表面的病原体失活。铜化合物的掺杂进一步增强了材料的抗菌效果。对COVID-19病毒的有效性是研究紧迫性的主要理由，研究将通过实验室和现场测试并行进行。除了对当前大流行的直接影响外，由此产生的技术将提高我国对未来同一病毒或其他空气传播病原体浪潮的防范能力。此外，在当前大流行期间获得的数据将为扩大、制造和广泛部署抗病毒涂层提供快速通道。该奖项由分配给ENG和MPS的CARES法案补充资金资助。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 COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic socioeconomic, educational, political and cultural impacts worldwide. Despite the measures currently undertaken, the latest projections of COVID-19 death toll range upwards of 100,000 across the U.S. The World Health Organization considers the main route of COVID-19 transmission to be through contact with surfaces that have been contaminated with small respiratory droplets that are released when COVID-19 patients cough or exhale. The virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) retains infectivity on stainless steel surfaces for up to 72 hours, and the current absence of a vaccine and effective antiviral drugs makes it critical to explore novel approaches to breaking the chain of viral transmission. The project focuses on design and initial laboratory and field testing of a spray coating technology that can be applied to a variety of surfaces to both repel virus-laden droplets and photocatalytically deactivate viral pathogens that lodge on coated surfaces. More broadly, the project supports graduate and undergraduate training in the areas of surface coating technology and catalysis, and also engages local hospitals and university medical research facilities in assessing the efficacy of the coating technologies for combating a broad range of airborne pathogens.Specifically, the research investigates the pathogen inhibiting efficacy of superhydrophobic and photocatalytic antimicrobial (SPA) coatings, a group of sprayable materials which, through their combined modes of action, can confer self-disinfecting properties to a wide array of surfaces, such as metals, concrete, ceramics, glass, and wood, to help prevent the transmission of viral, bacterial, and other pathogens for a prolonged duration of time, ranging from several months to several years. The SPA coatings represent a novel two-pronged approach to repelling and deactivating viral pathogens. The coatings consist of nano-TiO2 and ZnO siloxane-modified superhydrophobic layers that serve to repel respiratory droplets, thus minimizing the ability of pathogens to linger on surfaces, while also facilitating cleaning procedures. The superhydrophobic layers are intermixed with TiO2, ZnO, and Ti-phosphate layers that impart photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic material has potential to deactivate any pathogens that remain on the surface through the release of hydroxyl radicals. Doping of the materials with cuprous compounds further enhances the antimicrobial effect. Efficacy against the COVID-19 virus is the primary justification for the urgency of the research, which will proceed in parallel via both lab and field testing. Beyond the immediate impact on the current pandemic, the resulting technology will improve our nation’s preparedness for future waves of the same virus or other airborne pathogens. In addition, data obtained during the current pandemic will provide a fast track to scale-up, manufacturing and widespread deployment of the anti-viral coatings.This award is being funded by the CARES Act supplemental funds allocated to ENG and MPS.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.