Bioactive Ag₃PO₄/Polypropylene Composites for Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Important Public Health Pathogens

Abstract

The current unprecedented coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is increasingly demanding advanced materials and new technologies to protect us and inactivate SARS-CoV-2. In this research work, we report the manufacture of Ag₃PO₄ (AP)/polypropylene (PP) composites using a simple method and also reveal their long-term anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. This composite shows superior antibacterial (against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>) and antifungal activity (against <i>Candida albicans</i>), thus having potential for a variety of technological applications. The as-manufactured materials were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, AFM, UV-vis spectroscopy, rheology, SEM, and contact angle to confirm their structural integrity. Based on the results of first-principles calculations at the density functional level, a plausible reaction mechanism for the initial events associated with the generation of both hydroxyl radical ^•OH and superoxide radical anion ^•O₂^- in the most reactive (110) surface of AP was proposed. AP/PP composites proved to be an attractive avenue to provide human beings with a broad spectrum of biocide activity.