Nanocoating developed that effectively destroys virus particles
Technology
The nanomaterial developed by scientists is a thin foil of silicon gel-like material to whose surface silver nanoparticles are attached.
South Korean physicists have developed a coating based on silver nanoparticles, which is able to neutralise viral particles by destabilising the structure of their protein shells, as well as having antibacterial properties. This is reported by TASS.
"Our coating outperforms existing commercial products in terms of antibacterial and antiviral properties, including very thin coatings with a material consumption of about one gramme per square metre. It can be used to protect medical instruments, household appliances and building materials," said Cho Sohe, a leading researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology.
The nanomaterial developed by the scientists is a thin foil of silicon gel material, to whose surface silver nanoparticles are attached. Scientists managed to find such a method of manufacturing this foil that all the metal nanoparticles are on its surface, and not inside its thickness, which favourably distinguishes this coating from already existing similar nanomaterials.
Initially, as the physicists note, they did not develop an antimicrobial and antiviral coating, but a nanomaterial whose colouring can be flexibly controlled by changing the shape and arrangement of silver nanoparticles on the surface of this structure. Subsequent experiments showed that this nanocoating also has three other interesting properties - it is unusually good at repelling water, and it also destroys viruses and microbes.
The experiments showed that the nanocoating destabilised the protein shells of about 97% of the viral particles in about an hour.
"Our coating outperforms existing commercial products in terms of antibacterial and antiviral properties, including very thin coatings with a material consumption of about one gramme per square metre. It can be used to protect medical instruments, household appliances and building materials," said Cho Sohe, a leading researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology.
The nanomaterial developed by the scientists is a thin foil of silicon gel material, to whose surface silver nanoparticles are attached. Scientists managed to find such a method of manufacturing this foil that all the metal nanoparticles are on its surface, and not inside its thickness, which favourably distinguishes this coating from already existing similar nanomaterials.
Initially, as the physicists note, they did not develop an antimicrobial and antiviral coating, but a nanomaterial whose colouring can be flexibly controlled by changing the shape and arrangement of silver nanoparticles on the surface of this structure. Subsequent experiments showed that this nanocoating also has three other interesting properties - it is unusually good at repelling water, and it also destroys viruses and microbes.
The experiments showed that the nanocoating destabilised the protein shells of about 97% of the viral particles in about an hour.
Powered by Froala Editor