SBIR Phase I: COVID-19: Self-Disinfecting Nanofiber Filters and Reusable Facemasks

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是展示一种安全、舒适、可重复使用的高质量自消毒口罩，并将在当前的COVID-19大流行期间产生直接影响。现代口罩中使用的过滤介质要么在过滤亚微米大小的病毒方面效率低下，要么难以呼吸，而且非常不舒服。病毒可以在口罩上活跃长达一周。口罩有被污染的可能，且无自消毒功能，使用一次后必须弃置。本文提出的高效自消毒过滤技术将解决这些问题。可重复使用也将直接解决口罩供应短缺和废物处理问题。从长远来看，该技术可以进一步应用于阻隔和消毒空气中病原体颗粒的纱窗。自消毒功能可适用于其他人员防护装备，也可用于环境自消毒和食品包装等。这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将开发一种创新的过滤介质，用于颠覆性口罩技术，通过纳米颗粒功能化纳米纤维垫有效捕获包括病毒在内的亚微米颗粒，该垫具有高过滤效率，薄且空气流动阻力小。该技术还将通过纳米颗粒的环境、光催化消毒功能和随后的协同效应，包括对病毒膜及其RNA/DNA的物理和化学破坏，使病原体就地失活。功能化催化剂吸收环境光，产生活性氧对病原体进行消毒，而等离子体效应增强了光吸收。带电纳米粒子被牢固地嵌入电纺纳米纤维中，由此产生的表面不规则性、电荷密度的提高和亲水性吸收通过机械和静电捕获气溶胶颗粒进一步提高了过滤和捕获效率。综上所述，所有这些影响可能会导致一种高效、透气、可重复使用的口罩，具有原位自消毒功能，可以对抗高度传染性的病毒和广泛的病原体。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 broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a demonstration of a high-quality, self-disinfecting facemask, which is safe, comfortable, and reusable, and will have an immediate impact during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The filter media used in modern facemasks are either inefficient in filtrating submicron size viruses or are difficult to breathe through and highly uncomfortable. Viruses can be active on a facemask for up to one week. With the possibility of contamination and without a self-disinfection function, facemasks must be disposed of after single use. The proposed highly efficient and self-disinfecting filtration technology will solve these problems. The reusability will also directly address the facemask supply shortage as well as waste disposal issue. In the long term, this technology may be further applied as window screens for blocking and disinfecting airborne pathogen particles. The self-disinfection function could be adapted for other personnel protective equipment as well as for environment self-disinfection and for food packaging, etc.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an innovative filtration medium for a disruptive facemask technology by effectively capturing submicron particles including viruses via a nanoparticle-functionalized nanofiber mat that has high filtration efficiency and is thin with low air flow resistance. The technology will also deactivate pathogens in-situ via the ambient, light-enabled, photocatalytic disinfection function of nanoparticles and the subsequent synergetic effects that include physical and chemical disruption of virus membranes and their RNA/DNA. The functionalized catalysts absorb ambient light, producing reactive oxygen species to disinfect pathogens, while the plasmonic effects enhance the light absorption. The charged nanoparticles are firmly embedded on the electrospun nanofibers, and the resulted surface irregularity, the improved charge density, and the hydrophilic absorption further boost the filtration and trapping efficiency through mechanical and electrostatic capture of aerosol particles. Taken together, all these effects may lead to a highly efficient, breathable, reusable facemask with in-situ self-disinfection functionality to combat highly infectious viruses and a broad spectrum of pathogens.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.