A new type of mask. It catches bacteria and viruses from the air and destroys them

Wearing masks is one of the most important methods of reducing the spread of the coronavirus. However, scientists are still looking for ways to increase their effectiveness. Hope is the material developed by scientists from Switzerland. On the surface it looks like ordinary filter paper, in fact it catches pathogens and destroys them. Additionally, it is a reusable material. The invention was written by the website sciencealert.com, it was also described in the journal “Advanced Functional Materials”.

1. The material of Swiss scientists resembles filter paper, but thanks to the use of titanium dioxide nanowires, it can capture bacteria and viruses from the air and destroy them under the influence of UV radiation.
2. According to the inventors, a mask made of an innovative material can be sterilized and reused
3. The use of a mask alone does not provide sufficient protection against COVID-19. It is equally important to keep your distance, wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your face and the mask itself

Face masks should be used as one of the most important measures to stop the transmission of the coronavirus and save lives. Remember, however, that the use of a mask alone does not provide sufficient protection against COVID-19. The World Health Organization emphasizes that you also need to keep a distance (minimum one meter), wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face and the mask itself.

Currently used masks prevent the spread of the virus, but do not destroy it. Additionally, in the case of a medical (surgical) mask – it should be replaced as soon as it becomes wet. A breakthrough in this matter may be the material developed by scientists from the federal polytechnic university in Lausanne (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, EPFL). A mask with an easy-to-regenerate filter made of titanium dioxide nanowires can eliminate pathogens present in the inhaled and exhaled air.

The material traps bacteria and viruses from the air and destroys them

The material of Swiss scientists resembles filter paper, but thanks to the use of titanium dioxide nanowires, it is able not only to capture bacteria and viruses from the air, but also to destroy them under the influence of UV radiation. Ultraviolet and nanofibers transform the moisture present in the mask into hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) that can destroy pathogens.

“Because our filter absorbs moisture exceptionally well, it can trap droplets that carry viruses and bacteria,” says physicist László Forró of the Complex Matter Physics Laboratory at EPFL.

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In experiments carried out on the material, Swiss scientists showed how the filter can destroy Escherichia coli bacteria – it turned out that the membrane can kill it quickly. It should be similar with viruses, although it still has to be proven experimentally. Based on the results of their experiments, scientists believe that nanowire masks could help fight the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic.

The mask can be sterilized and reused thousands of times

The Swiss material deserves attention for one more reason – according to the inventors, a mask made of it could be sterilized and reused many times. This would reduce shortages and significantly reduce waste.

Standard disposable masks made of polypropylene microfibers “in hospital conditions are placed in special containers after use”. Widely used outside hospitals, they are thrown into open garbage cans and even left on the street – and that could turn them into new sources of pollution, notes László Forró.

Large-scale production of similar filtration membranes should not be difficult – in the EPFL laboratory alone, it would be possible to produce 100 – 200 sq m of material per week. «This is enough to produce 40 jobs. – 80 thousand monthly reusable masks »say the inventors.

Such a scenario may not materialize until further research is carried out, “but the prototype certainly looks interesting,” writes sciencealert.com. What’s more, scientists say that the developed filter can also be used in air treatment, including ventilation and air conditioning systems.

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