SBIR Phase I: COVID-19-impermeable high-performance porous coatings for respiratory personal protective equipment

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括开发用于N95级净化器的口罩和过滤件的新涂层。外层将排斥病毒颗粒，而内层将吸收水分，使口罩佩戴舒适，并有助于在COVID-19大流行期间遵守社交距离。涂层在其功能方面是有效的，提供可靠的保护，并且是耐用的。该技术在其他类型的个人防护设备中的应用也非常有前途，例如长袍，窗帘，医用围裙以及一次性医疗设备上的涂层。除了医疗领域外，该平台还具有其他商品、药物制剂和个人护理产品的潜在优势。SBIR第一阶段项目旨在开发创新配方，用于在个人防护设备的纺织品表面沉积高性能超疏水和超亲水涂层。技术创新是制造具有非常高的表面积和非常强的粘附性的新型树枝状聚合物颗粒。当聚合物溶液注入到强烈剪切的反溶剂介质中时，形成柔软的树枝状胶体。湍流反溶剂流对聚合物溶液液滴的随机拉伸导致聚合物以软树枝状结构的形式沉淀。关键的技术障碍是规模化制造大量具有分形形态的软枝晶颗粒。技术目标是：1）在实验室规模上开发一种有效的液体基工艺，用于柔软树枝状胶体的制造; 2）使用一系列形态学、过滤效率和透气性测试来表征涂有新配方的纺织品。该奖项反映了NSF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) project encompasses development new coatings for face masks and filtration pieces for N95-grade respirators. The outer layer will repel the viral particles while the inner layer will adsorb moisture, making the mask comfortable for wear and assisting with social distancing compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The coatings are efficient in their function, provide reliable protection, and are durable. This technology is also highly promising for applications in other types of personal protective equipment such as gowns, drapes, medical aprons, as well as coatings on disposable medical devices. Apart from the medical sector, this platform has potential advantages for other goods, pharmaceutical formulations, and personal care products. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop innovative formulations for deposition of high-performance superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic coatings on textile surfaces for personal protective equipment. The technical innovation is fabrication of novel dendritic polymer particles with extraordinary high surface area and unusually strong adhesivity. The soft dendritic colloids are formed when a polymer solution is injected into turbulently sheared anti-solvent medium. Random stretching of the polymer solution droplets by the turbulent anti-solvent flow causes the polymer to precipitate in the form of soft dendritic structures. The critical technical hurdle is scaling manufacturing of large volumes of soft dendritic particles with fractal morphology. Technical objectives are: 1) develop an efficient liquid-based process for soft dendritic colloids fabrication on a bench scale; and 2) characterize textiles coated with the new formulations using a series of morphological, filtration efficiency, and breathability tests.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.