Antiviral Properties of Oxidized Silicon Nitride Against SARS-CoV-2

• The spread of SARS-CoV-2 led to a global pandemic that caused several million deaths. The severity of this pandemic created challenges for scientists worldwide regarding the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, the disease the virus causes. While the use of personal protective equipment and social distancing limited the spread of the virus, high transmission rates were noted. A solution to the issue of viral spread can be partially given by the utilization of antiviral materials for long-term protection against pathogens on environmental surfaces. To this end, nitrides are materials of high interest due to their proven efficiency in inactivating bacteria and viruses. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a ceramic material that possesses an inactivation mechanism termed ‘catch and kill’. In this study we hypothesized that a surface-modified Si3N4 material whose hydrophilicity has been increased through a heat treatment could lead to high attachment and inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 virions. Si3N4 powders were oxidized, characterized and the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by them was tested. The results showed that oxidized Si3N4 was highly effective in binding and inactivating SARS-CoV-2 after as little as one minute of contact and can be used to inhibit the spread of COVID-19 under certain circumstances.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

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