Copper-Coated Polypropylene Filter Face Mask with SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Ability.

Sunghoon Jung,Jun-Yeoung Yang,Da-Gyum Lee,Ho Won Jang,Hyo Jung Kim,Cheol-Woong Shin,Seunghun Lee,Do-Geun Kim,Sanggu Lee,Sungweon Ryoo,Eun-Yeon Byeon

doi:10.3390/polym13091367

Abstract

Face masks will be used to prevent pandemic recurrence and outbreaks of mutant SARS-CoV-2 strains until mass immunity is confirmed. The polypropylene (PP) filter is a representative disposable mask material that traps virus-containing bioaerosols, preventing secondary transmission. In this study, a copper thin film (20 nm) was deposited via vacuum coating on a spunbond PP filter surrounding a KF94 face mask to provide additional protection and lower the risk of secondary transmission. Film adhesion was improved using oxygen ion beam pretreatment, resulting in cuprous oxide formation on the PP fiber without structural deformation. The copper-coated mask exhibited filtration efficiencies of 95.1 ± 1.32% and 91.6 ± 0.83% for NaCl and paraffin oil particles, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 inactivation was evaluated by transferring virus-containing media onto the copper-coated PP filters and subsequently adding Vero cells. Infection was verified using real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunochemical staining. Vero cells added after contact with the copper-coated mask did not express the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and envelope genes of SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid immunofluorescence results indicated a reduction in the amount of virus of more than 75%. Therefore, copper-coated antiviral PP filters could be key materials in personal protective equipment, as well as in air-conditioning systems.

Highlights

More than 2.6 million people have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic as of February 2021, and the spread of the virus continues to increase [1,2]
Copper-coated KF94 masks show promise as antiviral protective equipment (PPE) for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. Their polymer fiber structure enabled the collection of bioaerosol particles to trap the virus, while the antiviral copper thin film on the fiber surface reacted with the virus, resulting in its inactivation
Their polymer fiber structure enabled the collection of bio-aerosol particles to trap the virus, while the antiviral copper thin film on the fiber surface reacted with the virus, resulting in its inactivation

Summary

Introduction

More than 2.6 million people have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic as of February 2021, and the spread of the virus continues to increase [1,2]. The. SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted via aerosols that are emitted as an infected person coughs or vocalizes, and the spread of viral infection due to aerosol outbreaks in indoor air has been widely reported [3,4,5,6,7]. The use of face masks has drastically increased worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic, which has led to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) [11]. This shortage has threatened the safety of both medical staff and the general public, and it has led to medical staff in hospitals reusing masks that may have been contaminated with the virus during the treatment of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients [12]. The development of reusable PPE could resolve these issues while reducing the generation of micro-plastic waste caused by disposable masks [13,14,15,16]

Methods

Results

Conclusion