A new innovation that eliminates viral contamination by 96%

Australia – Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia revealed a newly developed silicone material covered with nanoscale spikes, which works to dismantle or destroy virus particles to prevent their reproduction.

The researchers said that it can be used in hospitals, science laboratories, and anywhere where surfaces need to be sterilized as much as possible, as the material (which surfaces can be coated with) eliminates viral activity by 96% within 6 hours.

They explained that this percentage would be sufficient to protect most healthy individuals from a group of pathogens.

The research team explained that their new approach was inspired by nature. Insects, including dragonflies and cicadas, have nanoscale protrusions on their wings, which can destroy bacteria and fungi.

The researchers created a material with protrusions just 290 nanometers high, and tips that were 2 nanometers thick (30,000 times thinner than a human hair).

“The virus-killing surfactant looks like a flat black mirror to the naked eye, but it contains tiny protrusions specifically designed to kill viruses,” says Natalie Borg, a molecular biologist at RMIT. This material can be incorporated into devices and surfaces to prevent the spread of the virus and reduce the use of disinfectants.”

If this surfactant could be scaled up and applied in healthcare environments, it could make a big difference.

The research was published in the journal ACS Nano.

Source: ScienceAlert