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. 2021 Mar 4;11(3):638.
doi: 10.3390/nano11030638.

SiO2-Ag Composite as a Highly Virucidal Material: A Roadmap that Rapidly Eliminates SARS-CoV-2

Marcelo Assis  1   2 , Luiz Gustavo P Simoes  3 , Guilherme C Tremiliosi  3 , Dyovani Coelho  1 , Daniel T Minozzi  3 , Renato I Santos  3 , Daiane C B Vilela  3 , Jeziel Rodrigues do Santos  1 , Lara Kelly Ribeiro  1 , Ieda Lucia Viana Rosa  1 , Lucia Helena Mascaro  1 , Juan Andrés  2 , Elson Longo  1
Affiliations

SiO2-Ag Composite as a Highly Virucidal Material: A Roadmap that Rapidly Eliminates SARS-CoV-2

Marcelo Assis et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

COVID-19, as the cause of a global pandemic, has resulted in lockdowns all over the world since early 2020. Both theoretical and experimental efforts are being made to find an effective treatment to suppress the virus, constituting the forefront of current global safety concerns and a significant burden on global economies. The development of innovative materials able to prevent the transmission, spread, and entry of COVID-19 pathogens into the human body is currently in the spotlight. The synthesis of these materials is, therefore, gaining momentum, as methods providing nontoxic and environmentally friendly procedures are in high demand. Here, a highly virucidal material constructed from SiO2-Ag composite immobilized in a polymeric matrix (ethyl vinyl acetate) is presented. The experimental results indicated that the as-fabricated samples exhibited high antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as well as towards SARS-CoV-2. Based on the present results and radical scavenger experiments, we propose a possible mechanism to explain the enhancement of the biocidal activity. In the presence of O2 and H2O, the plasmon-assisted surface mechanism is the major reaction channel generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). We believe that the present strategy based on the plasmonic effect would be a significant contribution to the design and preparation of efficient biocidal materials. This fundamental research is a precedent for the design and application of adequate technology to the next-generation of antiviral surfaces to combat SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: COVID-19; SiO2-Ag composite; antiviral surfaces; ethyl vinyl acetate; surface plasmon resonance effect; virus elimination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
X-ray diffractograms of SiO2-Ag, EVA-SiO2-Ag, and EVA samples.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Micro-Raman spectra of SiO2-Ag, EVA-SiO2-Ag, and EVA samples.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FTIR spectra of SiO2-Ag, EVA-SiO2-Ag, and EVA samples.
Figure 4
Figure 4
TG/DTA curves of SiO2-Ag, EVA-SiO2-Ag, and EVA samples.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(A) Diffuse reflectance spectra, (B) indirect interband transition and (C) direct interband transition of pure EVA and EVA-SiO2-Ag.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(A,B) FE-SEM images of SiO2-Ag and (C,D) TEM and HR-TEM of SiO2-Ag sample.
Figure 7
Figure 7
AFM images of (A–C) EVA and (D–F) EVA-SiO2-Ag samples. SEM images of the (G) EVA and (H) EVA-SiO2-Ag samples.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Comparison of photocatalytic degradation of RhB in the presence of different scavengers under visible light irradiation.
Figure 9
Figure 9
A schematic representation of plasmon-induced hot electrons over SiO2-Ag composite: (A) in Ag NP particles; (B) in metal semiconductor; and (C) proposed mechanism for biocidal activity. (CB and VB represent the conduction band and valence band, respectively.).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Reusable mask manufactured using the EVA-SiO2-Ag composite.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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