SBIR Phase I: HaloFilm as a virucide against COVID-19 infection

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop an antiviral surface coating with unique application and efficacy features. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 virus strain can remain live on stainless steel and plastic for as long as three days, a potentially harmful situation in environments with high traffic, such as subway turnstiles, buses, and high-touch surfaces in hospitals. Furthermore, even in hospitals, cleaning and disinfecting can be insufficiently comprehensive than desired, with surfaces that may easily be recontaminated until disinfectants are reapplied. The proposed technology enables chlorine-based disinfectants to be effective for as long as 4 weeks. The coating keeps chlorine in a physical and chemical state that is active against viruses, but remains safe and does not cause skin irritation upon contact. The coating can turn any surface into an antimicrobial, and antiviral, surface. The proposed SBIR Phase I project will assess the utility, efficacy and safety of a spray-on surface coating that is rechargeable and can be reapplied, such that it can be used as an antimicrobial surface coating, particularly to prevent transmission of coronaviruses. The state-of-the-art is to regularly use liquid spray disinfectants to kill viruses on surfaces. However, typical active ingredients, such as chlorine, quaternary ammonium compounds, alcohol, peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide, are active against viruses for a matter of minutes and certainly less than an hour, leaving a surface that can potentially be recontaminated. The technical aims of the proposal focus on 1) assessing the virucidal activities of the coating at specific times after application; 2) determining the half-life of coronaviruses on the coating for comparison to other materials. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.