Self-Disinfecting TiO2 Coating to Enable Antibacterial, Antiviral and Reusable Facemasks (COVID-19)
Filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) play an indispensable role in protecting people from potential exposure to hazardous airborne contaminants, such as coronaviruses and bacteria, during this COVID‑19 pandemic. However, most FFP are single use for 8 hours or less and must be disposed afterwards due to contamination, causing significant shortage of FFR for the pubic and devastating harm to the environment. To address these challenges, Dr. Jian Liu’s team at the University of British Columbia, in collaboration with Toronto-based Myant Inc., aims at developing selfinfecting and reusable consumer-grade facemasks that are suitable for everyday use by the public. The team will apply an advanced atomic layer deposition manufacturing process to achieve self-disinfecting TiO2 coating on Myant’s fabric facemasks to enable antibacterial and antiviral properties. This project will deliver low-cost, antibacterial, antiviral, and reusable facemasks to the public, thus helping protect and care for those most at risk in our society. Moreover, this self-disinfecting TiO2 coating can also be used on other personal protective equipment, such as face shields, goggles, and gowns, for frontline healthcare providers.
