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The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the urgent need for surfaces and fabrics that can prevent microbial attack. Research published online in Advanced Materials suggests a way to coat fabrics with liquid metal to kill any pathogens they come into contact with.
Research: Liquid metal-mediated metal coating for antibacterial and antiviral fabrics. Photo Credit: Kolomiiets Iryna/Shutterstock.com
Pathogens can survive for a long time on the fabrics of bedding, clothing and masks commonly used in healthcare and community settings. This is particularly worrying in hospitals, as outbreaks of drug-resistant superbugs are becoming more common.
In addition, it is reported that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on fabrics for up to two to three days. Pathogens can spread from patient to patient after contact with infected material.
Liquid metal (LM) mediated particles coated on fabric. a) Schematic diagram of manufacturing of gallium copper (LMCu) coating on fabric. b) Schematic diagram of LM particles sticking to the fabric through conformal contact. c) Schematic diagram of electro-replacement (i-iv) of LM particles on fabric with copper ions. d) SEM image shows LMCu on a single fiber (inset). eg) Surface characteristics of LMCu coating on fabric formed by reaction with 1 m CuSO4 solution. e) The surface of Ga LM particles (cyan) is used as a seed to grow highly crystalline (111) Cu (orange) after 10 minutes. f) Ga particles (cyan) wet the surface of adjacent copper crystals (orange). The arrow explains the wetting direction of Ga-made LMCu particles. g) As a result, LMCu particles (red) were formed on the surface after 1000 minutes. h) The high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) image and the corresponding energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) element diagram of the produced LMCu particles. (Cu (green), Ga (red) and O (blue)). Image source: Kwon, KY, etc., advanced materials
Fabric masks are deployed to prevent the spread of airborne and droplet-borne pathogens by trapping microorganisms in the fabric. However, although the pathogens were trapped and prevented them from infecting the wearer, they were not killed. If proper treatment procedures are not followed, pathogenic microorganisms can still infect individuals. This is an incredibly common phenomenon. Therefore, there is an urgent need for fabrics with antibacterial coatings.
Currently, there are several strategies to make antibacterial coatings for fabrics. These include coating them with agents such as polymers, two-dimensional materials, metal particles, and organometallic frameworks. However, each of these strategies has disadvantages that affect its efficacy as an antibacterial coating.
For example, copper nanoparticle coated or impregnated face masks have recently been approved for commercial use. Copper nanoparticles show a wide range of effects on viruses, bacteria and fungi. In addition, copper is low-cost, which provides an inexpensive solution to this problem.
However, these coatings easily fade over time, and there are problems with uneven adhesion and coverage. Obviously, as far as masks are concerned, this is a major disadvantage.
Enhance the adhesion of LMCu on the fabric. a) Schematic diagram of peel test method. b) Compare the peel test results of LMCu coated fabric and sprayed CuNPs. They represent the traditional method of depositing copper on fabric. Real image of compression pressure measured from 20 to 100 at 40 kPa intervals. c) Compared with the quantitative analysis of the total area of the pressure peel test, measure the amount of copper buried in the carbon ribbon. d) Simulate the respiratory system through the schematic diagram of the separation test of the transient airflow. e) The degree of particle desorption in response to airflow (top: LMCu, bottom: CuNPs), representing breathing (1-3 m s-1), sneezing (4 m s-1) and coughing (5 m s-1). f) Quantitative analysis through image processing. Image source: Kwon, KY, etc., advanced materials
To overcome these problems, the team behind the research published in Advanced Materials has developed a new process that provides superior antibacterial coatings to fabrics. The process uses liquid metal to mediate the deposition of copper nanoparticles on the material at room temperature.
This process uses liquid gallium particles as the adhesion nucleation layer. In this process, copper ions are spontaneously reduced to metallic copper by electric displacement. The team called this new type of particles "LMCu particles", which contain copper and an alloy of gallium and copper.
The first step of the process involves adding a suspension of liquid metal particles to the fabric and then evaporating the solvent. Then, the coated non-woven fabric was immersed in a 1M CuSO4 solution to spontaneously form LMCu particles. Copper crystals grow on liquid metal oxide from the initial seed. Carbon is the main component of the tested material, but was not detected in the final coating, which strongly proves that the LMCu particles cover the entire surface of the fabric.
The fabric used in the study was a mixture of 45% polyester and 55% cellulose, although the coating worked well on a range of tested materials. Using a scanning electron microscope, it was found that the 3 layers of coating completely covered the fabric. The increased adhesion of the particles to the fabric appears to be due to the combination of the "soft" nature of the liquid particles and the surface oxide formed on the gallium.
In addition, LMCu particles have better antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties than pure copper. The unique properties of these nanoparticles make them ideal for antibacterial coatings, which are more durable than alternatives currently on the market.
The research proposed a mask design using gallium and copper coating materials. Traditional copper-based antibacterial coated copper particles have the risk of detaching and entering the wearer's respiratory system, which may cause health problems. However, the adhesion layer of LMCu particles can prevent this from happening, improve the safety of the coating material, and provide enhanced antibacterial protection.
Masks with antibacterial coatings must also deal with an obvious factor: the wearer's breathing. Breathing is humid and warm, causing changes in humidity. These masks were evaluated within a certain humidity range and showed the same adhesion characteristics under low humidity and high humidity.
They also evaluated the airflow, taking into account movements such as breathing, coughing, and sneezing, again showing excellent performance. The delamination test is carried out by applying pressure and using carbon ribbon.
Anti-virus test of LMCu coated fabric. a) Schematic experimental setup and b) virus titers from LMCu coated fabrics were analyzed after 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes incubation after challenge with human A H1N1 virus inoculum (108 TCID50). An inoculum of 108 TCID50 that was not exposed to the mask was used as a positive control. After each time point, samples were collected from the front and back of the LMCu coated fabric, and sections were frozen and evaluated using the TCID50 method. The results were analyzed by ANOVA, showing a statistically significant difference between the positive control and all incubation time points (*** = p <0.01). Image source: Kwon, KY, etc., advanced materials
The study demonstrated a new type of antibacterial coating made by a liquid metal-mediated process. Research results show that this coating has excellent adhesion and anti-pathogenic properties, paving the way for safer fabrics and helping to prevent the spread of harmful diseases in the future.
Kwon, KY, etc. (2021) A liquid metal-mediated metal coating for antibacterial and antiviral fabrics [Online] Advanced Materials 33:45 3104298 | onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202104298
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Reg Davey is a freelance writer and editor based in Nottingham, UK. Writing for news medicine represents a fusion of various interests and fields in which he has been interested and involved for many years, including microbiology, biomedical sciences, and environmental sciences.
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