Metal Tech News - The Elements of Innovation Discovered

The strongest and most conductive material known to man, graphene is considered a miracle material that will likely change how we construct things in the 21st century – from micro-electronics to mega-building structures. But, can this single layer of super strong carbon atoms also protect us from the spread of diseases like COVID-19?

GrapheneCA, a New York-based producer of graphene and developer of technologies that use this miraculous allotrope of carbon, believes the answer is yes and is formulating a graphene-based coating with anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

This graphene-rich formula could be made into paints and varnishes for the walls and surfaces of public areas where the risk of micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses is high – walls, benches, handrails, bathrooms and other touchable surfaces in shopping malls, handrails, stations, airports and event halls.

GrapheneCA said its formula has been lab-tested to block the metabolism of micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses by restricting cellular respiration and cell division. It has been shown these micro-organisms die when contacting surfaces covered with the coating's components.

There has been a multitude of studies into graphene's antibacterial properties over the past four years and these investigations have discovered two reasons why micro-organisms do not tolerate it – sharp edges upset the function of the membrane and the carbon material induces oxidative stress, which is the same function as hydrogen peroxide.

Micro-biological tests that meet rigorous industrial standards in Japan show that components of GrapheneCA's chemical-free coating completely kills dangerous bacteria such as E. coli. These tests also show that this bacteria-killing will last the entire life of the coating, which means that a new coat only needs to be applied when its time to repaint anyway.

"Our proprietary graphene-based coating has demonstrated sustained protective activity against micro-organisms," said Sergey Voskresensky, head of research and development at GrapheneCA. "We are in the process of validating our findings against different viruses and other micro-organisms and look forward to starting discussions with commercial partners for manufacturing and shipping soon after."

If this formula proves effective against COVID-19 and similar viruses, applied to surfaces of public gathering places could provide another layer of protection against future strains of coronavirus.

GrapheneCA

GrapheneCA plans to build in a unique color-change indicator that will allow end users to distinguish unprotected, bacteria-exposed areas from shielded areas.

"Our mission is to provide protection to the concentrated areas that are most vulnerable to spreading viruses and other micro-organisms," said Voskresensky.

GrapheneCA said it is developing its anti-bacterial coating for optimal real-world applicability. Unique features are expected to include coatings that are curable with ultra-violet light, which minimizes the curing process and allows for immediate application. Additionally, the solution's no-color formula is intended to offer end users the flexibility to apply coatings to their color liking.

The graphene-based coating is also being developed to undergo rapid polymerization, which will activate the protective properties, under the sun or UV light exposure. GrapheneCA plans to build in a unique color-change indicator that will allow end users to distinguish unprotected, bacteria-exposed areas from shielded areas.