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Fluorinated Graphene-Coated N95 Respirators for Enhanced Protection Against Viral Accumulation and Transmission
Fengjie He1, Jiongyu Zhang2, Shengjie Zhai3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, US.
Abstract:
Highly contagious respiratory infection diseases such as COVID-19 can be transmitted by inhaling virus laden liquid droplets and short-range aerosols, released by an infected person. Particularly, in hospitals, spraying of the respiratory droplets containing pathogens from the conjunctiva or mucus of a susceptible person plays a key role in transferring the infectious diseases. N95 filtering respirators are a critical personal protective equipment. However, due to concerns over the virus accumulation on the N95 respirators, there is an urgent need to make the N95 respirators less contaminated. To address this critical issue, we develop a one-step spray coating approach to coat the fluorinated graphene (FG) nanosheet onto the N95 respirators. The synergistic effect of FG nanosheet with a low surface energy and the increased surface roughness by FG on the respirator's surface makes it superhydrophobic. For respiratory droplets like saliva and mucus, the FG coated respirators also show excellent superhydrophobicity. Furthermore, the ability against virus accumulation on the FG coated respirators is tested by using the mucus droplets laden with SARS-CoV-2. The results show that FG coated respirators largely increase the virus repel efficiency even under multiple contacts and effectively reduce the virus accumulation.
Insights
Fluorinated graphene (FG) coatings create superhydrophobic N95 respirators, repelling respiratory droplets and reducing virus accumulation. This innovation enhances respirator safety against infectious diseases like COVID-19.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Infectious Disease Control
Background:
- Highly contagious respiratory diseases like COVID-19 spread via virus-laden droplets and aerosols.
- N95 respirators are crucial personal protective equipment but face contamination concerns.
- Reducing virus accumulation on respirators is essential for healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for decontaminating N95 respirators.
- To enhance the virus-repelling properties of N95 respirators.
Main Methods:
- A one-step spray coating technique was used to apply fluorinated graphene (FG) nanosheets onto N95 respirators.
- The surface properties of the FG-coated respirators were analyzed for superhydrophobicity.
- SARS-CoV-2-laden mucus droplets were used to test virus accumulation and repulsion efficiency.
Main Results:
- The FG coating resulted in superhydrophobic N95 respirators, effectively repelling saliva and mucus.
- FG-coated respirators demonstrated significantly increased virus repulsion efficiency, even after multiple contacts.
- A substantial reduction in virus accumulation on the FG-coated N95 respirators was observed.
Conclusions:
- Fluorinated graphene coatings offer a promising solution to reduce virus accumulation on N95 respirators.
- Superhydrophobic FG-coated respirators enhance personal protective equipment safety against respiratory pathogens.
- This approach provides a novel strategy for decontaminating critical medical supplies.
