Electrostatic interactions between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a charged electret fibre

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biophysics
• Electrostatics

Background:

• Electrically charged electret layers in face masks enhance filtration efficiency for small particles and pathogens.
• The precise mechanisms of electrostatic capture, especially concerning particle and fiber charges and environmental influences, require further elucidation.
• Understanding virus-host electrostatic interactions is crucial for developing advanced filtration technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the electrostatic interactions between a charged electret fiber and a model of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• To determine the influence of environmental factors (pH, salt concentration) and virus surface protein configuration on electrostatic capture.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatics to model interactions.
• Incorporated a detailed spike protein charge regulation model for SARS-CoV-2.
• Analyzed the effect of environmental parameters and protein configuration on electrostatic forces.

Main Results:

• pH and salt concentration were found to significantly alter the magnitude and polarity of electrostatic interactions.
• The arrangement of spike proteins near the electret fiber is as critical as their total number for interaction strength.
• Demonstrated the direct impact of spike protein charge regulation on virus-fiber electrostatic attraction.

Conclusions:

• Elucidated the detailed electrostatics governing virus-fiber interactions in filtration.
• Provided insights into how environmental conditions modulate filtration efficiency.
• Contributed to a fundamental understanding of mechanisms for efficient virus filtration using electret materials.