Polymer Additives to Personal Protective Equipment can Inactivate Pathogens.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Face masks are crucial for preventing airborne pathogen transmission.
• Low-quality or disposable masks offer insufficient protection during continuous exposure and pose sustainability challenges.
• There is a need for reusable, pathogen-inactivating face masks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a reusable face mask with pathogen-inactivating properties.
• To integrate quaternary poly(dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate) (q(PDM)) into common fabrics.
• To create "contact-killing" face masks from cotton, polypropylene, and polyester.

Main Methods:

• Integrating q(PDM) into fabric networks.
• Testing the efficacy of q(PDM)-integrated masks against bacteria in liquid culture and aerosolized droplets.
• Electrospinning q(PDM) into homogeneous polymer fibers for scalable production.

Main Results:

• q(PDM)-integrated face masks effectively inactivated both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• The polymer demonstrated efficacy in both liquid culture and aerosolized droplet environments.
• Electrospinning enabled practical, low-cost, scaled-up production of the q(PDM) polymer.

Conclusions:

• q(PDM) integration transforms common fabrics into pathogen-resistant materials.
• These "contact-killing" face masks offer a sustainable and effective alternative to disposable masks.
• The developed technology holds promise for enhanced public health protection against airborne pathogens.