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An Omniphobic Spray Coating Created from Hierarchical Structures Prevents the Contamination of High-Touch Surfaces with Pathogens |
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| Authors: | Noor Abu Jarad Kenneth Rachwalski Fereshteh Bayat Shadman Khan Amid Shakeri Roderick MacLachlan Martin Villegas Eric D. Brown Leyla Soleymani Tohid F. Didar |
| Affiliation: | 1. School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1 Canada;2. Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5 Canada;3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L7 Canada;4. Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L7 Canada;5. School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1 Canada Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L7 Canada Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1 Canada |
| Abstract: | Engineered surfaces that repel pathogens are of great interest due to their role in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases. A robust, universal, and scalable omniphobic spray coating with excellent repellency against water, oil, and pathogens is presented. The coating is substrate-independent and relies on hierarchically structured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microparticles, decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Wettability studies reveal the relationship between surface texturing of micro- and/or nano-hierarchical structures and the omniphobicity of the coating. Studies of pathogen transfer with bacteria and viruses reveal that an uncoated contaminated glove transfers pathogens to >50 subsequent surfaces, while a coated glove picks up 104 (over 99.99%) less pathogens upon first contact and transfers zero pathogens after the second touch. The developed coating also provides excellent stability under harsh conditions. The remarkable anti-pathogen properties of this surface combined with its ease of implementation, substantiate its use for the prevention of surface-mediated transmission of pathogens. |
| Keywords: | healthcare-acquired infections hierarchical structures pathogen repellent omniphobic surfaces spray-coatings |