Issue 4, 2024

Engineering surgical face masks with photothermal and photodynamic plasmonic nanostructures for enhancing filtration and on-demand pathogen eradication

Abstract

The shortage of face masks and the lack of antipathogenic functions has been significant since the recent pandemic's inception. Moreover, the disposal of an enormous number of contaminated face masks not only carries a significant environmental impact but also escalates the risk of cross-contamination. This study proposes a strategy to upgrade available surgical masks into antibacterial masks with enhanced particle and bacterial filtration. Plasmonic nanoparticles can provide photodynamic and photothermal functionalities for surgical masks. For this purpose, gold nanorods act as on-demand agents to eliminate pathogens on the surface of the masks upon near-infrared light irradiation. Additionally, the modified masks are furnished with polymer electrospun nanofibrous layers. These electrospun layers can enhance the particle and bacterial filtration efficiency, not at the cost of the pressure drop of the mask. Consequently, fabricating these prototype masks could be a practical approach to upgrading the available masks to alleviate the environmental toll of disposable face masks.

Graphical abstract: Engineering surgical face masks with photothermal and photodynamic plasmonic nanostructures for enhancing filtration and on-demand pathogen eradication

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 7 2023
Accepted
28 12 2023
First published
05 1 2024

Biomater. Sci., 2024,12, 949-963

Engineering surgical face masks with photothermal and photodynamic plasmonic nanostructures for enhancing filtration and on-demand pathogen eradication

M. A. Haghighat Bayan, C. Rinoldi, D. Rybak, S. S. Zargarian, A. Zakrzewska, O. Cegielska, K. Põhako-Palu, S. Zhang, A. Stobnicka-Kupiec, R. L. Górny, P. Nakielski, K. Kogermann, L. De Sio, B. Ding and F. Pierini, Biomater. Sci., 2024, 12, 949 DOI: 10.1039/D3BM01125A

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