Antiviral Polymers for Development of Rapid Reuse, Next Generation PPE

Abstract The ability of face masks and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce and/or prevent the possibility of cross-infection and transmission is of critical importance in occupational environments where aerosolized pathogens may be encountered (ie. COVID-19 intensive care units, etc.). Because viruses and microorganisms can survive on surfaces for a few hours to several days, respirator masks and other forms of PPE that have been contaminated with pathogens can become secondary sources of infection for the wearer and others, thus limiting them to single use. In recent months, this has led to N95 respirator shortages worldwide and an undeniable public plea from our nation's medical professionals for better PPE resources to help mitigate the dangers of viral cross-infection from contaminated PPE in their high-risk occupational environments. There is an urgent moral obligation for the science and business community to develop the next-generation of anti- viral resources to protect the occupational safety of professionals on the frontlines of this and future pandemics. Towards that aim, Seacoast Science, Inc. in collaboration with Professor Dave Spivak (APTEC) propose the co-development of antiviral polymer coatings for application in rapid reuse PPE. Leveraging a known salt crystallization mechanism, proven to kill pathogens via hydration and subsequent recrystallization from human breath, we hypothesize the use of a modified polymeric salt will equally provide SARS CoV-2 inactivation while enhancing mechanical properties for improved compatibility with melt blown fibers of N95 masks vs. table salt. We will develop Polyethyleneimine (PEI) branched polymers with increased osmotic pressure and high antiviral activity that are adhered to a substrate of activated charcoal (AC) to tune polymer loading and filter pore size. This smart, responsive materials system can be used to modify the blown-polymer fiber filters used in N95 masks and/or deposited as anti-viral coatings on other forms of PPE. The proposed technology is anticipated to extend the useful lifetime of N95 masks beyond the single use recommendation, affording protection over multiple uses. In phase I, Seacoast will establish proof-of-concept that the proposed system can be applied to N95 respirators to augment virus negation and increase mask lifetime. Anti-viral polymers will be synthesized utilizing facile, modular, high-yielding chemistry that is compatible with scalable, multi-gram batches and low-cost solution processing. These polymers will be solution deposited onto the blown-polymer fiber filters used in N95 masks, which have been surface-treated with AC. We will evaluate the geometric, mechanical, and hygroscopic behavior of these novel materials, demonstrating their capacity to induce osmotic effects (vs. non-polymeric salt solutions) across membranes structurally analogous to viral envelopes. Seacoast will down-select the top material(s) from these initial experiments and test them against viable COVID analogues in a regulated BSL3 lab to demonstrate efficacy. The proposed virus negating materials are anticipated to facilitate the advent of rugged, anti-viral coatings for the next-generation of rapid-reuse PPE for SARS CoV-2 and emerging variants (delta, mu, etc.).