RAPID: Sprayable Cellulosic Nanoparticle Coatings for Covid 19

新冠肺炎已经导致整个世界进入了前所未有的自愿和非自愿的孤立状态，影响了流动性、健康和经济稳定。一个关键的、研究不足的方面是防止病毒通过接触受污染的表面传播，受污染的表面可能会被活性病毒污染数天。该项目将导致一种新的以植物为基础的纳米材料涂层，以保护频繁接触的表面免受污染。具体地说，该项目将评估在植物性纳米材料上附着不同抗病毒化学物质的有效性，并测试它们在治疗包括新冠肺炎在内的病毒方面是否有效。在这个为期一年的项目结束时，预计将会有一种可喷洒的表面涂层，可以迅速摧毁病毒，从而防止疾病的传播。涂层将由Oxone®改性纤维素纳米颗粒制成，其中包含专为杀灭病毒而制造的活性化学物质。这个团队的研究人员已经证明，他们可以在纤维素表面使用点击化学，这基本上允许任何基团连接。所有将要研究的化学物质都已被疾病控制中心批准用于去污，因此这项新技术的广泛使用可能会很快获得批准。初步工作表明，涂层可以制成约4微米的薄层，至少有10种不同的化学成分与抗菌性能共价结合，以防止细菌生长。此外，涂层的亲水性可以使用疏水蜡进行调节，在需要重新涂装之前，涂层的弹性也足以承受至少40次接触。这些初步研究表明，这种新型的杀灭病毒的化学涂层可以用于新冠肺炎，并在未来成为一种通用的表面抗病毒和抗菌涂层。具体地说，该项目将使用RT-PCR评估附加不同抗病毒基团对模型病毒灭活的有效性，并确定不同涂层疏水性对其在三种模型表面(玻璃、金属和塑料)上的粘附性的耐久性。此外，还将研究纤维素纳米材料对病毒的破坏和粘连性能。在这个为期一年的项目结束时，预计将会有一种可喷涂的表面涂层，可以迅速摧毁病毒，从而防止新冠肺炎等疾病的传播。作为该项目的一部分，将培养一名研究生和一名博士后。这种喷雾技术还可以用于制造薄膜和新型包装材料，从而显著增加可再生纤维素的使用量。最后，如果成功，这个项目可能会得到广泛应用，因为它可能是为数不多的对摧毁新冠肺炎和其他病毒的表面进行持续长期处理的已知方法之一。。作为该项目的一部分，一名研究生和一名博士后将接受教育。但这个项目最令人兴奋的部分是，参与其中的学生将对世界产生深远和积极的影响。在一个正常运转的社会里，人们必须走到交通繁忙的地方，如杂货店、医院、疗养院、邮局等。这种喷雾可以用来防止新冠肺炎从所有的门把手和把手上传播。该项目由化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统(CBET)分部和既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

COVID-19 has caused the entire world to go into an unprecedented level of voluntary and involuntary isolation affecting mobility, health, and economic stability. One critical, under-researched aspect is preventing the spread of the virus through exposure to contaminated surfaces, which can remain contaminated with active virus for several days. This project will lead to a new plant-based nanomaterial coating to protect frequently contacted surfaces from contamination. Specifically, this project will evaluate the effectiveness of attaching different anti-viral chemicals on the plant-based nanomaterials and testing whether they are effective in treating viruses including COVID-19. At the end of this one-year project, it is expected that there will be a sprayable surface coating that destroys viruses rapidly and thereby prevents the spread of diseases. The coating will be made from Oxone® modified cellulose nanoparticles incorporating active chemistries made specifically for destroying viruses. The researchers on this team have shown that they can use click chemistry on cellulose surfaces which basically allow for any group to be attached. All of the chemistries that will be studied have been approved for decontamination by the Center for Disease Control so approval of this new technology for widespread use could be rapid. Preliminary work has shown that the coatings can be made in thin layers of around 4 microns with at least 10 different chemistries bound covalently with anti-bacterial properties to prevent bacterial growth. In addition, the coating hydrophilicity can be tuned using a hydrophobic wax and is also resilient enough to withstand at least 40 touches when applied to a metallic surface before requiring reapplication. These preliminary studies indicate that the new coating with chemistries for virus destruction could be used for COVID-19 as well as a general anti-viral and anti-bacterial coating for surfaces in the future. Specifically, this project will evaluate the effectiveness of attaching different anti-viral groups in deactivating a model virus using RT-PCR and determine the durability of varying coating hydrophobicity on its adhesion to three model surfaces (glass, metal, and plastic). The properties of the cellulose nanomaterial on virus destruction and adhesion will also be studied. At the end of this one-year project, it is expected that there will be a sprayable surface coating that destroys viruses rapidly and thereby prevents the spread of diseases such as COVID-19. As part of this project one graduate student and one post-doctoral student will be educated. This spray-technology could also be used for making membranes and new types of packaging materials that could significantly increase the use of renewable cellulose. Finally, if successful, this project could be widespread because it could be one of the only known ways to have continuous long-term treatment of a surface that destroys COVID-19 and other viruses. . One graduate student and one post-doctoral student will be educated as part of this project. But the most exciting part of this project is the fact that the involved students will have a profound and positive impact on the world. In a functioning society, people must go out in the public to high traffic areas such as grocery stores, hospitals, nursing homes, post offices, etc. This spray could be used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from all those doorknobs and handles. This project is jointly funded by the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) Division and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.