Surface Coatings that Inhibit Infection by SARS-CoV-2
Hosted By: Thin Films Technical Group
04 May 2021 8:30 - 9:30
Eastern Time (US & Canada) (UTC - 05:00)SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, remains viable on solids for periods of up to a week, so one potential route for human infection is via exposure to an infectious dose from a solid. During this webinar hosted by the Thin Films Technical Group, Prof. William Ducker will discuss the concept of using a coating on common touch surfaces, such as door handles and railings to continuously reduce the probability of infection by SARS-CoV-2.
The critical characteristics are: (1) rapid loss of viral transmission, (2) ability to continuously reduce transmission over time and environmental exposure without human intervention, (3) ability to coat many different surfaces, and (4) low toxicity to humans. Examples of successful coatings will be discussed, including a coating based on cuprous oxide (Cu2O) particles bound with polyurethane. The half-life of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on this surface is 3-4 minutes. After one hour on coated glass or stainless steel, the viral titer was reduced by about 99.9% on average compared to the uncoated sample. An advantage of a polyurethane-based coating is that polyurethane is already used to coat a large number of everyday objects. The coating adheres well to glass, steel, various plastics, wood, and cardboard. It retains its activity after one month and after cycles of disinfection and exposure to the virus.
Subject Matter Level:
- Introductory - Assumes little previous knowledge of the topic
What You Will Learn:
- Strategies for inactivating viruses on surfaces
- Results of our efforts to date to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on solids
- Surface chemistry in thin film coatings
Who Should Attend:
- Optical coating engineers and scientists
- Engineers involved in development of optical coating equipment
- Scientists/engineers who use coated optical components for biomedical applications
About the Presenter: William Ducker, Virginia Tech
William Ducker has a Ph.D. in Surface Chemistry from the Australian National University and has held positions at the University of Otago and the University of Melbourne. He is currently a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech. His research is in the area of colloid and surface chemistry, including applications of surface coatings to inhibit microbial growth and viability on surfaces.