Effectiveness of Silver Nanoparticles Deposited in Facemask Material for Neutralising Viruses

Abstract

Cloth used for facemask material has been coated with silver nanoparticles using an aerosol method that passes pure uncoated nanoparticles through the cloth and deposits them throughout the volume. The particles have been characterized by electron microscopy and have a typical diameter of 4 nm with the atomic structure of pure metallic silver presented as an assortment of single crystals and polycrystals. The particles adhere well to the cloth fibers, and the coating consists of individual nanoparticles at low deposition times, evolving to fully agglomerated assemblies in heavy coatings. The cloth was exposed to Usutu virus and murine norovirus particles in suspension and allowed to dry, following which, the infectious virus particles were rescued by soaking the cloth in culture media. It was found that up to 98% of the virus particles were neutralized by this contact with the silver nanoparticles for optimum deposition conditions. The best performance was obtained with agglomerated films and with polycrystalline nanoparticles. The work indicates that silver nanoparticles embedded in masks can neutralize the majority of virus particles that enter the mask and thus increase the opacity of masks to infectious viruses by up to a factor of 50. In addition, the majority of the virus particles released from the mask after use are non-infectious.

Protein‐Based Face Mask with High SARS‐CoV‐2 Neutralization Ability and Breathability

“…Some groups also suggested coating face coverings with silver nanoparticles for virucidal effects. [23,24] Nevertheless, the face masks mentioned above still mainly work by physical filtration of viral particles, making them stuffy and uncomfortable to wear for prolonged time period. The use of non-biological materials might also impose some health concerns on inhalation of carbon and heavy metals.…”

Design and Manufacturing of Antibacterial Electrospun Polysulfone Membranes Functionalized by Ag Nanocoating via Magnetron Sputtering

“…At the same time, nano-based antimicrobial coatings are increasingly used to impart a range of functionalities, either a broad-spectrum protection against various microbes or a narrow-spectrum protection against a specific sector of microbes [10]. This possibility was highlighted to society at large by the recent COVID-19 global pandemic [11], with one of the many associated formidable challenges being the design of new, more effective antiviral barriers for protective devices, face masks, and garments to be sourced in quantities of billions [12].…”