Since 2004, we have been developing nanomaterials with antimicrobial properties, the
so-called nano antimicrobials. When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, we started
investigating new and challenging routes to nano antivirals. The two fields have some important
points of contact. We would like to share with the readership our vision of the role a (nano)materials
scientist can play in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As researchers specifically working
on surfaces and nanomaterials, in this letter we underline the importance of nanomaterial-based
technological solutions in several aspects of the fight against the virus. While great resources are
understandably being dedicated to treatment and diagnosis, more efforts could be dedicated to limit
the virus spread. Increasing the efficacy of personal protection equipment, developing synergistic
antiviral coatings, are only two of the cases discussed. This is not the first nor the last pandemic: our
nanomaterials community may offer several technological solutions to challenge the ongoing and
future global health emergencies. Readers’ feedback and suggestions are warmly encouraged.
Nanomaterial-based antiviral and antibacterial textiles, non-woven disposable products,
packaging solutions, antiviral coatings, synergistic/multifunctional surfaces, air-conditioning filters,
PPE, are just a few of the possible examples requiring our prompt technological answer. While many
good research papers have been published on metal nanoparticles to be used as antibacterial or
antiviral agents, the commercialization of novel functional nanomaterials still appears to be limited by
nanotoxicology concerns or by several other practical aspects (off-target and/or any other unpredictable
effects, costs, production yield, durability, environmental impact, etc.). This is a good time to ask why
and how we can facilitate the turning of these research projects into safe and viable products.
In the field of nano antimicrobials, we have always pursued the use of bioactive nanoparticles as
water-insoluble, polymer-confined nano-reservoirs, providing a source of ionic release, without being
released as entire nanophases in the contact matrices (e.g., physiological solutions, food, sweat, humid
air filtered through air-conditioners, etc.).
Source: Sportelli, M. C., Izzi, M., Kukushkina, E. A., Hossain, S. I., Picca, R. A., Ditaranto, N., & Cioffi, N. (2020). Can Nanotechnology and Materials Science Help the Fight against SARS-CoV-2? Nanomaterials, 10(4), 802. doi:10.3390/nano10040802
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1549963409001154
