In the past 15 weeks, how many times did you wipe the surface with disinfectant frantically? The COVID-19 fear factor has led scientists to study products based on nanotechnology, the application of a few atoms. They are looking for a solution for surface coatings that can bond to materials and protect bacteria (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa) for a long time.
They are polymers that use metals (such as silver and copper) or biomolecules (such as immem extracts known for their microbial activity) or cationic (ie positively charged) polymers with long-term use of chemical compounds (such as ammonia and nitrogen). ) Material protective coating used in combination. The compound can be sprayed on metal, glass, wood, stone, fabric, leather and other materials, and the effect lasts from one week to 90 days, depending on the type of surface used.
Before the pandemic, there were antibacterial products, but now the focus has shifted to viruses. For example, Professor Ashwini Kumar Agrawal, head of the Textile and Fiber Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, developed the N9 blue nano silver in 2013, which has a much higher ability to trap and kill bacteria than other metals and polymers. Now, he has evaluated the antiviral properties and reformulated the compound to fight COVID-19. He said that many countries, including the United States, China, and Australia, have applied for patents for different types of silver (yellow and brown) to establish the uniqueness of the metal in terms of surface hygiene. “However, N9 blue silver has the longest effective protection time, which can be increased by 100 times.”
Institutions across the country (especially IIT) are in different stages of developing these nanoparticles as surface coatings. Before legal and legal mass production, everyone is waiting for the virus to be verified through field trials.
Ideally, the required certification needs to pass government-approved laboratories (such as ICMR, CSIR, NABL or NIV), which currently only engage in drug and vaccine research.
Some private laboratories in India or abroad have already tested certain products. For example, Germcop, a start-up company located in Delhi, has started to use water-based antibacterial products made in the United States and certified by the EPA for disinfection services. The product is said to be sprayed on metal, non-metal, tile and glass surfaces to provide up to 120 in the first 10 days. Day protection, and has a kill rate of 99.9%. Founder Dr. Pankaj Goyal said that the product is suitable for families who have isolated COVID-positive patients. She is talking with the Delhi Transport Company to disinfect 1,000 buses. However, the test has been carried out in a private laboratory.
The samples from IIT Delhi were sent to the MSL microbiological testing laboratory in the UK in April. These reports are expected only before the end of this year. Professor Agrawal said: “A series of laboratory tests will confirm the efficacy of the compound in a dry state, the speed and duration of the continued killing of the virus, and whether it is non-toxic and safe to use.”
Although Professor Agrawal’s N9 Blue Silver belongs to the Nano Mission project funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Indian government, another project funded by IIT Madras and funded by the National Defense Research and Development Organization has been developed for PPE kits, masks, and first-line medical staff. Used gloves. The coating filters submicron dust particles in the air. However, its actual application has to undergo field testing, so it needs to be resolved.
We can, but in the long run, they are not healthy choices for us or the environment. Dr. Rohini Sridhar, Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Hospital in Madurai, said that so far, common disinfectants used in high-density public places such as hospitals and clinics contain alcohol, phosphate or hypochlorite solutions, which are usually Known as household bleach. “These solutions lose their function due to rapid evaporation and decompose when exposed to ultraviolet light (such as the sun), which necessitates disinfection of the surface multiple times a day.”
According to the discovery of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, the coronavirus can last up to 17 days on the surface, so a new disinfection technology has emerged. When antiviral coatings were undergoing clinical testing in several countries, three months ago, scientists from the Haifa Institute of Technology in Israel claimed to have developed antiviral polymers that could kill the coronavirus without reducing it.
Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have also developed a new antibacterial coating called MAP-1, which can kill most bacteria and viruses-including coronaviruses-for up to 90 days.
Professor Agrawal said that since the last SARS epidemic, many countries have been working on developing heat-sensitive polymers that respond to touch or droplet pollution. Many of these formulations have been modified during the current pandemic and are sold under different brand names in Japan, Singapore and the United States. However, the surface protective agents currently available on the international market are pinchable.
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Printable version | July 28, 2020 1:55:46 PM | https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/nano-coated-materials-could-be-the-anti-virus-weapons- of-future/article32076313.ece
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