Enhanced and copper concentration dependent virucidal effect against SARS-CoV-2 of electrospun poly(vinylidene difluoride) filter materials

Hanna Bulgarin ¹, Thomas Thomberg ¹, Andres Lust ²

⁰Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.

Iscience +

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May 27, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

New electrospun filter materials containing copper nanoclusters demonstrate significant virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2. These stable, macroporous filters offer enhanced particle filtration and retain efficacy for at least three months.

Area Of Science

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Virology

Background

Developing effective virucidal filter materials is crucial for controlling infectious disease transmission.
Poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) electrospinning offers a versatile platform for creating advanced filtration media.
Incorporating antimicrobial agents into filter structures can enhance their efficacy against pathogens.

Purpose Of The Study

To fabricate and characterize electrospun PVDF filter materials with varying concentrations of copper nitrate as a virucidal agent.
To evaluate the particle filtration efficiency and virucidal activity of the developed materials against SARS-CoV-2.
To assess the stability and long-term efficacy of the virucidal filter materials.

Main Methods

Electrospinning of PVDF solutions with different wt% of copper nitrate (Cu(NO3)2 · 2.5H2O).
Characterization of fibrous structure, nanocluster distribution, and material porosity using techniques like X-ray diffraction.
Filtration efficiency testing and virucidal assays using infectious SARS-CoV-2, measuring logarithmic reduction in viral concentration over time.

Main Results

Uniform, defect-free fibrous structures with evenly distributed copper nanoclusters were achieved.
Electrospinning transformed copper nitrate into copper hydroxy-nitrate (Cu2(NO3)(OH)3).
Materials with higher copper nanocluster content exhibited improved particle filtration and significant virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 (up to 3.2 log reduction within 12 hours).

Conclusions

Electrospun PVDF filters incorporating copper nanoclusters demonstrate potent virucidal properties.
The developed materials show promise for applications requiring high-efficiency particle filtration and pathogen inactivation.
The virucidal activity of these stable filter materials is retained for at least three months.

Keywords:

engineering materials science