RAPID: Regenerable Antiviral Nanoporous Materials for Protection

截至2020年4月中旬，全球有超过200万例阳性病例和16万人死亡，由于持续的大流行爆发-冠状病毒病2019 (COVID-19)，全球社会目前正在遭受身体，社会，经济和政治上的痛苦。病毒传播的主要途径是通过人们打喷嚏或咳嗽时产生的呼吸道飞沫，然后这些飞沫会感染附近的人。因此，美国疾病控制和预防中心（CDC）建议遮住脸，以帮助减缓病毒的传播。然而，传统的口罩只能起到物理屏障的作用，这意味着病毒会在口罩上保持活性，如果在摘下/戴上口罩时触摸，病毒仍然可以传播。因此，开发口罩来消除病毒威胁可以有效地阻止/减缓高传染性病毒COVID-19的传播。在数学和物理科学理事会材料研究部固态和材料化学项目的资助下，这项快速反应研究（Rapid）资助的研究重点是通过化学修饰纺织品表面来开发抗病毒口罩，以消除病毒威胁；这反过来又降低了病毒传播的风险，并产生了可重复使用的口罩。这项研究通过从假设驱动的科学研究中开发先进技术来保护我们国家的身体、社会、经济和政治健康和福利，从而服务于国家利益和NSF的使命。技术摘要：这项快速反应研究（Rapid）资助由美国数学和物理科学理事会材料研究部固态和材料化学项目资助，用于使用纳米多孔材料修饰纺织纤维和生产抗病毒面膜的研究。这种支持使材料科学方法能够减轻COVID-19对公共卫生的负面影响。口罩不仅可以保护佩戴者，还可以灭活病毒，这大大减少了COVID-19等传染性病毒威胁的传播，因为口罩上的活性病毒仍然对佩戴者和周围环境构成很大威胁。本研究项目探讨了在纺织品纤维表面覆盖抗病毒剂的方法，这些抗病毒剂对病毒威胁具有活性；这样，在接触和/或后处理时，病毒可以通过分解而失活，同时允许过滤后的空气安全地通过口罩。具体来说，研究人员将基于金属有机框架的抗病毒复合材料应用于基于纺织品的口罩，后来又应用于N95或类似的口罩。在口罩上添加的保护性纳米层可以分解病毒威胁，从而减少口罩在移除和/或佩戴期间的交叉污染，从而允许口罩重复使用。该RAPID项目为有效抗病毒防护材料短缺这一严峻紧迫的挑战提供了解决方案，同时推进了物理和材料科学，并教育公众以研究驱动的解决方案来应对全球挑战。这笔拨款是使用《冠状病毒援助、救济和经济安全（关怀）法案》分配给MPS的补充资金提供的资金。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。

Non-Technical AbstractWith over 2 million positive cases and 160 thousand deaths as of mid-April 2020, global society is currently suffering physically, socially, economically, and politically because of the ongoing pandemic outbreak - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The main pathway that the virus is spreading is through respiratory droplets produced when people sneeze or cough, which can then infect people nearby. Thus, the United Statesʹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended covering one’s face to help slow down the spread of the virus. The traditional face masks, however, can only act as a physical barrier, which means that the virus will stay active on the mask and can still be transmitted if touched while removing/wearing the mask. Therefore, developing face masks to deactivate the viral threats can efficiently stop/slow the spread of the highly infectious virus, COVID-19. With funding from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, this Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant supports research that focuses on developing antiviral masks by chemically modifying the textile surfaces to deactivate the viral threats; this in turn reduces the risk of spreading the virus and generates reusable masks. The research serves the national interest and NSFʹs mission by developing advanced technologies from hypothesis-driven scientific research to protect our nation’s physical, social, economic, and political health and welfare.Technical AbstractThis Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant supports research that employs nanoporous materials to modify textile fibers and generate antiviral facial masks with funding from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. The support enables a materials science approach that mitigates the negative impacts of COVID-19 on public health. Masks that not only protect the wearer but also deactivate the virus significantly reduce the spread of infectious viral threats such as COVID-19 since an active virus residing on a mask still possesses a great threat to the wearer and their environment. This research project investigates means to cover the surfaces of textile fibers with antiviral agents that are active towards viral threats; in this way, the viruses can be deactivated by disintegration upon contact and/or post-treatment while filtered air is allowed to pass through the mask safely. Specifically, the researchers employ the integration of metal–organic framework based antiviral composites on textiles-based facial masks and later on N95 or similar masks. The protective nano layer added on the masks enables the disintegration of the viral threats, which allows the reuse of masks due to reduction of cross contamination during removal and/or wearing of the masks. This RAPID project offers a solution to the severely urgent challenge of the shortage of effective antiviral protective materials while advancing physical and materials science and educating the general public on the research-driven solutions to global challenges.This grant is being awarded using funds made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental funds allocated to 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.