A team of researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne have developed a thin plastic film that appears to tear viruses on contact.
The real-world application of such an antiviral coating could be widespread – from smartphones to hospital equipment – helping prevent the spread of diseases.
The flexible acrylic surface developed by RMIT’s research team is textured with ultra‑fine structures called nanopillars that grab and stretch the outer shell of the virus so much that it ruptures, killing the virus through mechanical force rather than through the use of chemical disinfectants.
In lab tests with the human parainfluenza virus 3 (hPIV-3) – which causes bronchiolitis and pneumonia – 94 percent of the virus particles were either ripped apart or damaged to the point where they could no longer replicate to cause infection within one hour of contact with the surface.
The study’s lead author and PhD candidate Samson Mah from RMIT says the team used cheap, flexible plastic that can be made in big factory rolls, like cling wrap, and could be produced at scale with existing factory equipment. “As nanofabrication tools get better, our results give a clearer guide to which nanopatterns work best to kill viruses,” he says.
Mah says the team’s research shows the distance between the nanopillars matters far more than their height.
“By tweaking the spacing and height of the nanopillars, we discovered how tightly they are packed together is far more important than how tall they are for breaking viruses apart,” he explains.
“When the nanopillars are closer together, more of them can press on the same virus at once, stretching its outer shell past breaking point.”
This strongest effect came from densely packed nanopillars with about 60 nanometres between them, while widening the gaps to 100 nanometres reduced the antiviral power, and 200 nanometres effectively switched it off.
While the current research was carried out on hPIV‑3, an enveloped virus with a fatty outer membrane, the team now plans to test smaller and non‑enveloped viruses to see how broadly the nanotextured surface works.
An enveloped virus has a fragile fatty membrane around it that can be more easily disrupted by nanopillars, while a non-enveloped virus lacks this outer layer, making it harder to kill.
The team will also study the texturing’s effectiveness on curved surfaces, which affects the nanopillars’ spacing.
Study co‑author professor Elena Ivanova from RMIT adds that the team is now ready to partner with companies that are willing to experiment with piloting the application of this material for everyday use cases by first manufacturing a large‑scale quantity of it.
Image: RMIT website
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