STTR Phase I: Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Surface Coating (COVID-19)

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project is to minimize the number of hospital-associated infections which contribute to almost 100,000 deaths each year in the US at an annual cost exceeding $30 B. Reducing the surface-borne transmission of pathogens can limit the spread of pathogenic diseases, thus minimizing transmission from contaminated surfaces in both public and healthcare settings is of utmost importance. Disinfectants can inactivate pathogens but require an active engagement that places undue burden on personnel and the environment; furthermore, the success rate varies, and the results do not persist. Most current antimicrobial materials are expensive, toxic to humans and the environment, and show minimal viral inactivation. Self-decontaminating surfaces provide a much-needed solution to these limitations, especially in areas with high-touch surfaces and large population flow. Customers, from hardware and elevator manufacturers to hospitals and airlines, will benefit from an effective, low-cost, environmentally sound solution to decontamination and customer safety for conditions such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. This project has potential impact for the $8 B antimicrobial coatings market, while delivering improved clinical outcomes.

This STTR Phase I project proposes to demonstrate the efficacy of a breakthrough, permanent ceramic coating technology against both viruses and bacteria. A pure ceramic coating that exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) requirements will be synthesized and deposited on relevant substrates. The key to reaching this goal is gaining an understanding of the mechanism of microbial inactivation - believed to be the spontaneous generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface of the ceramic - and how to maximize them in a practical coating. Spectroscopic techniques will be used to rapidly assess the number and type of ROS generated and thus the efficacy of the materials. Optimization will occur through the addition/substitution of targeted alkali, alkaline earth, transition, and/or main-group metals to control the lattice of the material and lock-in specific valence states to optimize the ability of the ceramic to generate large numbers of the appropriate reactive oxygen species. Tests will be performed against both viral and bacterial challenges to correlate the results of the rapid screening assessment with antimicrobial effectiveness. Pure ceramic thin films will be deposited, and the antimicrobial efficacy of these films tested.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.