Antimicrobial Coatings for Medical Shelters

Approximately 2 million infections are acquired in hospitals annually with a major source of bacterial contamination being frequently touched common surfaces. This problem also exists for Combat Surgical Hospitals. Current anti-bacterial coatings are not suitable for these environments because of human toxicity, low activity, and/or poor adhesion. The goal of this project is to develop a low cost, non-toxic, robust, and versatile anti-microbial system that can be easily applied to a range of surfaces. To achieve this goal, a novel core-shell nanoparticle is proposed. The shell with be chitosan, a well known non-toxic anti-microbial, and a non-toxic acrylic polymer for the core. These materials can be economically prepared with a low cost, single step aqueous based reaction that results in a stable dispersion in water. The aqueous dispersion can be applied to surfaces by a simple spraying procedure. Once applied, the nanospheres will coalesce into a monolithic anti-microbial surface like a latex paint. Efforts will focus on evaluating core materials to maximize the coalescence and adherence of the anti-microbial film on rigid and fabric surfaces. Samples will be prepared and submitted for evaluation.