1 research outputs found
Polypropylene Modified with Ag-Based Semiconductors as a Potential Material against SARS-CoV‑2 and Other Pathogens
The worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19)
and
other emerging infections are difficult and sometimes impossible to
treat, making them one of the major public health problems of our
time. It is noteworthy that Ag-based semiconductors can help orchestrate
several strategies to fight this serious societal issue. In this work,
we present the synthesis of α-Ag2WO4,
β-Ag2MoO4, and Ag2CrO4 and their immobilization in polypropylene in the amounts of 0.5,
1.0, and 3.0 wt %, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the
composites was investigated against the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and the fungus Candida albicans. The best antimicrobial efficiency
was achieved by the composite with α-Ag2WO4, which completely eliminated the microorganisms in up to 4 h of
exposure. The composites were also tested for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2
virus, showing antiviral efficiency higher than 98% in just 10 min.
Additionally, we evaluated the stability of the antimicrobial activity,
resulting in constant inhibition, even after material aging. The antimicrobial
activity of the compounds was attributed to the production of reactive
oxygen species by the semiconductors, which can induce high local
oxidative stress, causing the death of these microorganisms