Virus Inactivation by Catalytic Air Converter Filters: The Role of Coating Methods.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Airborne transmission of pathogens poses a significant infection risk in indoor environments.
• Infectious respiratory particles remain viable for extended periods, enabling long-range dispersal.
• Effective technologies are needed to reduce airborne pathogen concentration and infectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize catalytic polymeric converter filters for inactivating airborne pathogens.
• To investigate spray coating as a method for filter preparation.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the developed filters against human coronavirus.

Main Methods:

• Catalytic polymeric converter filters were fabricated using spray coating and dip coating techniques.
• Spray coating parameters (air pressure, airbrush-filter distance) were optimized.
• Filter homogeneity, adherence, and biocidal activity against HCoV-229E were assessed.

Main Results:

• Spray coating yielded more homogeneous filters compared to dip coating.
• Optimal spray coating conditions (1 bar, 6 cm distance) resulted in superior filter coverage and adherence.
• The optimized filter demonstrated a 4-log unit reduction in HCoV-229E infectivity within 60 minutes at room temperature.

Conclusions:

• An optimized spray-coating method provides a low-cost, simple process for creating effective biocidal catalytic polymeric converter filters.
• These filters show significant potential for mitigating the risk of airborne pathogen transmission in indoor settings.