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Sci Rep . Durable nanocomposite face masks with high particulate filtration and rapid inactivation of coronaviruses

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  • Sci Rep . Durable nanocomposite face masks with high particulate filtration and rapid inactivation of coronaviruses


    Sci Rep


    . 2021 Dec 21;11(1):24318.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-03771-1.
    Durable nanocomposite face masks with high particulate filtration and rapid inactivation of coronaviruses


    Andrew Gonzalez # 1 , Hamada A Aboubakr # 2 , John Brockgreitens 1 , Weixing Hao 3 , Yang Wang 3 , Sagar M Goyal 2 , Abdennour Abbas 4 5



    Affiliations

    Abstract

    The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique challenge to the healthcare community due to the high infectivity rate and need for effective personal protective equipment. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have shown promising antimicrobial properties and are recognized as a safe additive in many food and cosmetic products. This work presents a novel nanocomposite synthesis approach, which allows zinc oxide nanoparticles to be grown within textile and face mask materials, including melt-blown polypropylene and nylon-cotton. The resulting nanocomposite achieves greater than 3 log10 reduction (≥ 99.9%) in coronavirus titer within a contact time of 10 min, by disintegrating the viral envelope. The new nanocomposite textile retains activity even after 100 laundry cycles and has been dermatologist tested as non-irritant and hypoallergenic. Various face mask designs were tested to improve filtration efficiency and breathability while offering antiviral protection, with Claros' design reporting higher filtration efficiency than surgical masks (> 50%) for particles ranged 200 nm to 5 µm in size.


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