Articolo in rivista, 2022, ENG, 10.1039/d2en00178k

Eco design for Ag-based solutions against SARS-CoV-2 and E. coli

A.L. Costa, M. Blosi, A. Brigliadori, I. Zanoni, S. Ortelli, F.C. Simeone, S. Delbue, S. D'Alessandro, S. Parapini, C. Vineis, A. Varesano, M.S. Toprak, B. Hamawandif, D. Gardini

a National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics (CNR-ISTEC), Via Granarolo 64, 48018 Faenza, (RA), Italy. b Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milano, Italy c Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy d Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milano, Italy e National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Intelligent Industrial Technologies and Systems for Advanced Manufacturing (CNR-STIIMA), Corso Pella 16, 13900 Biella, Italy f Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE106 91 Stockholm, Sweden

For the first time, we exploited the antiviral and antibacterial properties of Ag NPs stabilised by quaternized hydroxyethyl cellulose (Ag-HEC) against SARS-CoV-2 and Escherichia coli through an eco-friendly process at room temperature in three different environments: 1) water, where Ag was dispersed as a nanosol, 2) textiles, where Ag was applied as a coating, and 3) hydrogel where Ag is embedded. The antiviral performance of Ag-HEC nanosols was quantified through the selectivity index (SI), defined as the ratio between 50% cytotoxic and inhibitory concentration, in order to evaluate the ability to be active in a concentration range below the cytotoxicity value. The collected results pointed out an actual enhanced risk/benefit profile of Ag-HEC NPs with respect to chloroquine, with an SI of 22.2 and 8.4, respectively. Antibacterial and antiviral activities of Ag-HEC NPs immobilized on textiles or mucosa-like hydrogels were also assessed and their efficacy in potential application as protective clothing or nasal molecular masks was verified. This work demonstrated that a modern, safe and sustainable design allows traditional colloidal silver-based technologies to be efficiently exploited for a broad spectrum of antimicrobial solutions against bacterial and viral infections.

Environmental science. Nano (Online)

Keywords

nano silver, antibacterial, antiviral, SARS-CoV-2

CNR authors

Zanoni Ilaria, Brigliadori Andrea, Costa Anna Luisa, Gardini Davide, Vineis Claudia, Varesano Alessio, Blosi Magda, Simeone Felice Carlo, Ortelli Simona

CNR institutes

ISSMC – Istituto di Scienza, Tecnologia e Sostenibilità per lo Sviluppo dei Materiali Ceramici, STIIMA – Istituto di Sistemi e Tecnologie Industriali Intelligenti per il Manifatturiero Avanzato