Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the weaknesses of relying on single-use mask and respirator personal protective equipment (PPE) and the global supply chain that supports this market. There have been no major innovations in filter technology for PPE in the past two decades. Non-woven textiles used for filtering PPE are single-use products in the healthcare environment; use and protection is focused on preventing infection from airborne or aerosolized pathogens such as Influenza A virus or SARS-CoV-2. Recently, C–H bond activation under mild and controllable conditions was reported for crosslinking commodity aliphatic polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Significantly, these are the same types of polymers used in PPE filtration systems. In this report, we take advantage of this C–H insertion method to covalently attach a photosensitizing zinc-porphyrin to the surface of a melt-blow non-woven textile filter material. With the photosensitizer covalently attached to the surface of the textile, illumination with visible light was expected to produce oxidizing 1O2/ROS at the surface of the material that would result in pathogen inactivation. The filter was tested for its ability to inactivate Influenza A virus, an enveloped RNA virus similar to SARS-CoV-2, over a period of four hours with illumination of high intensity visible light. The photosensitizer-functionalized polypropylene filter inactivated our model virus by 99.99% in comparison to a control.
Highlights
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the weaknesses of relying on single-use mask and respirator personal protective equipment (PPE) and the global supply chain that supports this market
The increase in global demand of filter materials for personal protective equipment (PPE) from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the weakness of the global supply chain and presented the imminent possibility of a limited supply for individuals who require PPE to complete their job without an undue risk ofinfection[1,2]
To facilitate insertion into the surface accessible C–H bonds of the spun-bond polypropylene (SBPP) and melt-blown polypropylene (MBPP), we utilized a 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyl-3H-diazirine motif (TFPD) that is known to generate carbenes that are capable of ready insertion into C–H b onds[33]
Summary
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the weaknesses of relying on single-use mask and respirator personal protective equipment (PPE) and the global supply chain that supports this market. Nonwoven textiles used for filtering PPE are single-use products in the healthcare environment; use and protection is focused on preventing infection from airborne or aerosolized pathogens such as Influenza A virus or SARS-CoV-2. With the photosensitizer covalently attached to the surface of the textile, illumination with visible light was expected to produce oxidizing 1O2/ROS at the surface of the material that would result in pathogen inactivation. The main approaches have focused on treating contaminated materials to inactivate any pathogens captured by the filter These solutions use available sterilization processes including heat, steam, ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide vapour, UV-C, microwaves, salt, and photosensitizers[3,4,5,6,7,8]. Covalent attachment of photosensitizers can allow the surface of a material to be modified without affecting the bulk. The bulk properties of the substrate material (e.g. tensile strength or glass transition temperature) will be left unperturbed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
