ABSTRACT
Transparent antimicrobial coatings can maintain the aesthetic appeal of surfaces and the functionality of a touch-screen while adding the benefit of reducing disease transmission. We fabricated an antimicrobial coating of silver oxide particles in a silicate matrix on glass. The matrix was grown by a modified Stöber sol-gel process with vapor-phase water and ammonia. A coating on glass with 2.4 mg of Ag2O per mm2 caused a reduction of 99.3% of SARS-CoV-2 and >99.5% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus compared to the uncoated glass after 1 h. We envisage that screen protectors with transparent antimicrobial coatings will find particular application to communal touch-screens, such as in supermarkets and other check-out or check-in facilities where a number of individuals utilize the same touch-screen in a short interval.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Bacterial Infections/prevention & control , COVID-19/prevention & control , Oxides/chemistry , Silver Compounds/chemistry , Ammonia/chemistry , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Bacterial Infections/microbiology , COVID-19/virology , Glass/chemistry , Humans , Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/pathogenicity , Oxides/pharmacology , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/pathogenicity , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity , Silicates/chemistry , Silver Compounds/pharmacology , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 epidemic can be transmitted via respiratory droplet-contaminated surfaces or fomites, which urgently requires a fundamental understanding of intermolecular interactions of the coronavirus with various surfaces. The corona-like component of the outer surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virion, named spike protein, is a key target for the adsorption and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on various surfaces. However, a lack of knowledge in intermolecular interactions between spike protein and different substrate surfaces has resulted in ineffective preventive measures and inaccurate information. Herein, we quantified the surface interaction and adhesion energy of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with a series of inanimate surfaces via atomic force microscopy under a simulated respiratory droplet environment. Among four target surfaces, polystyrene was found to exhibit the strongest adhesion, followed by stainless steel (SS), gold, and glass. The environmental factors (e.g., pH and temperature) played a role in mediating the spike protein binding. According to systematic quantification on a series of inanimate surfaces, the adhesion energy of spike protein was found to be (i) 0-1 mJ/m2 for hydrophilic inorganics (e.g., silica and glass) due to the lack of hydrogen bonding, (ii) 2-9 mJ/m2 for metals (e.g., alumina, SS, and copper) due to the variation of their binding capacity, and (iii) 6-11 mJ/m2 for hydrophobic polymers (e.g., medical masks, safety glass, and nitrile gloves) due to stronger hydrophobic interactions. The quantitative analysis of the nanomechanics of spike proteins will enable a protein-surface model database for SARS-CoV-2 to help generate effective preventive strategies to tackle the epidemic.