Nanostructured zinc oxide surface coatings for bacterial growth inhibition (Market Assessment)

2019年，细菌抗微生物药物耐药性与近495万人死亡有关。病原体传播的最常见方式之一是接触被污染的表面。这个问题在人口密集地区更为严重，因为传统的消毒方法每天仅限于一定数量的消毒。门把手和电梯按钮是每轮清洁之间被许多人触摸的表面的例子。控制医院中的耐抗生素细菌是另一项重大挑战。一种安全、有效和互补的策略来减轻病原体在表面上的传播是使用多功能抗菌表面涂层。然而，到目前为止，这些技术的应用有限。化学制备的ZnO纳米棒涂层在恶劣的工作条件下具有耐用性和抗菌性能。这种涂层的制备方法需要相当温和的条件，并且适用于几乎任何表面。我们最近调整了合成过程，将涂层的纳米级拓扑结构从纳米棒改为纳米针和纳米豪猪拓扑结构。此外，我们还探讨了这对杀菌性能的影响。该提案旨在进行与新型纳米结构ZnO薄膜作为永久抗菌涂层的开发和商业化相关的市场研究。我们坚信，对这项新技术进行市场研究是非常及时的，将有助于了解这项创新技术对加拿大利益相关者的潜力。

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance was associated with almost 4.95 million deaths in 2019. One of the most common ways that pathogens spread is by contact with a contaminated surface. This problem is more critical in crowded areas where traditional disinfection methods are limited to a certain number of applications per day. Door handles and lift buttons are examples of surfaces that are touched by many individuals between each round of cleaning. Controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals is another major challenge. A safe, effective, and complementary strategy to mitigate the spread of pathogens on surfaces is to use multifunctional antibacterial surface coatings. However, these have had limited use so far. Chemically prepared ZnO nanorod coatings are known to be durable in harsh working conditions and possess antibacterial properties. The preparation method for such coatings requires reasonably mild conditions and is adaptable to almost any surface. We have recently adapted the synthetic procedure to alter the nanoscale topology of the coatings beyond the nanorods towards nano-needles and nano-porcupine topologies. Moreover, we have explored the influence of this on bactericidal properties. This proposal aims to perform a market study related to development and commercialization of a novel nanostructured ZnO films as permanent antibacterial coatings. We strongly believe that a market study for this new technology is extremely timely and will contribute to understanding the potential of this innovative technology for Canadian stakeholders.