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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.04.01.438151

Polymer additives to personal protective equipment can inactivate pathogens

Dogan, A. B.·Dabkowski, K. E.·von Recum, H. A.
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Abstract

Face masks have been proven to be medicines best public health tool for preventing transmission of airborne pathogens. However, in situations with continuous exposure, lower quality and "do-it-yourself" face masks cannot provide adequate protection against pathogens, especially when mishandled. In addition, the use of multiple face masks each day places a strain on personal protective equipment (PPE) supply and is not environmentally sustainable. Therefore, there is a significant clinical and commercial need for a reusable, pathogen-inactivating face mask. Herein, we propose adding quaternary poly(dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate), q(PDMAHDM), abbreviated to q(PDM), to existing fabric networks to generate "contact-killing" face masks - effectively turning cotton, polypropylene, and polyester into pathogen resistant materials. It was found that q(PDM)-integrated face masks were able to inactivate both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in liquid culture and aerosolized droplets. Furthermore, q(PDM) was electrospun into homogeneous polymer fibers, which makes the polymer practical for low-cost, scaled-up production. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=120 SRC="FIGDIR/small/438151v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (15K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c07ab2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@b73e8dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6bd8e5org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6cc681_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

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Dogan, A. B., Dabkowski, K. E., von Recum, H. A.. 2021-04-02. Polymer additives to personal protective equipment can inactivate pathogens. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.01.438151

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