Development of Advanced Graphene-Based Antiviral Nanocomposites against COVID-19

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a serious threat to humanity worldwide. It is known that COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, which can be transmitted from person to person via small aerosolized droplets. The goal of this project is to develop advanced functional graphene-based nanocomposites with robust antiviral and antibacterial activities. The graphene-based nanocomposite layer not only filters out particulates, but also binds with and disinfects coronavirus. The proposed functional nanocomposites will be coated onto fabric to create advanced filters for the fabrication of novel re-usable masks. In addition to face masks, there also exists an immense demand for other personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face shields and aprons to protect front-line workers. The developed functional graphene-based nanocomposites can be coated onto the PPE as an antiviral layer to effectively disinfect coronavirus, thereby providing a safer environment for both patients and health care professionals.

Faculty Supervisor:

Aicheng Chen

Student:

Aiman Khaleel;Lanting Qian;Michael Salverda;Antony Thiruppathi;Joshua van der Zalm;Sharmila Durairaj;Boopathi Sidhureddy

Partner:

ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

University:

University of Guelph

Program: