Hazarika Doli, Kalita Naba Kumar, Kumar Amit, Katiyar Vimal
Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Assam-781039 India
RSC Adv. 2021 Oct 6;11(52):32884-32897. doi: 10.1039/d1ra05352c. eCollection 2021 Oct 4.
This study endeavoured to explore and fabricate antiviral and antibacterial facemasks using zinc (oligo-lactate) (ZL), developed through a microwave synthesis technique. The prepared nano-fabric layer has excellent antiviral and antibacterial properties against Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) and and , respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of ZL shows a two-step thermal degradation, which confirms the formation of low molecular weight end group lactyl units with zinc ions. Another investigation using varying ZL concentration and silk nanocrystal (SNC) with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and electrospinning them into nanofibres led to the fabrication of a facile and sustainable nanofabric that can be utilized as a protective layer for facemasks. Morphological analysis revealed the successful preparation of the nanofabric with proper distribution and uniformity in fibre diameter. Hydrophobicity of the prepared nanofabric confirmed excellent protection from water droplets that may transpire during coughing or sneezing by an infected individual. Breathability and reusability tests confirmed that the prepared facemask could be reused by ethanol washing without compromising its surface properties till 4 cycles. The PLA/ZL nanofabric layer demonstrated 97% antiviral efficacy against NDV in 10 minutes. In conclusion, the electrospun nanofabric layer can be used as a facemask having high hydrophobicity, good breathability, antibacterial, and antiviral properties to control the spread of contagious diseases.
本研究致力于探索并制造使用通过微波合成技术开发的锌（低聚乳酸）（ZL）的抗病毒和抗菌口罩。制备的纳米织物层分别对新城疫病毒（NDV）和具有优异的抗病毒和抗菌性能。ZL的热重分析（TGA）显示出两步热降解，这证实了锌离子与低分子量端基乳酰单元的形成。另一项研究是将不同浓度的ZL与丝纳米晶体（SNC）和聚乳酸（PLA）混合，然后将它们静电纺丝成纳米纤维，从而制造出一种简便且可持续的纳米织物，可作为口罩的保护层。形态分析表明成功制备了纳米织物，其纤维直径分布适当且均匀。制备的纳米织物的疏水性证实了其能有效防止受感染个体咳嗽或打喷嚏时可能喷出的水滴。透气性和可重复使用性测试证实，制备的口罩可以通过乙醇洗涤重复使用，且在4个循环内不会损害其表面性能。PLA/ZL纳米织物层在10分钟内对NDV的抗病毒效力为97%。总之，静电纺丝纳米织物层可作为具有高疏水性、良好透气性、抗菌和抗病毒性能的口罩，以控制传染病的传播。
