Adsorption characteristics of virus-mimetic fluorescent nanoparticles on polymer fiber material surfaces

Contact infection, whereby the virus is transmitted through objects to which it adheres, affects the spread of infection. Although inactivation with alcohol is commonly used, the virus may adhere to the surface again after removal. It is necessary to take measures against direct and contact infection to control the spread of viral infection. However, the type of material the viruses adsorb onto is not fully understood. The objective in the present study is to elucidate virus adsorption behavior to suppress the indirect spread of infection. We examined for materials that are difficult for viruses to adhere to and investigated their adsorption mechanisms to control the spread of infection through contact infection. In this study, spike protein-modified fluorescent nanoparticles (SFNs) were designed and fabricated by modifying the surface of fluorescent particles with the spike S1 protein, which is expected to first contact and adsorb onto the material surface. Purpose of the present study is to analyze the influence of material characteristics on virus adhesion using SFNs. SFNs were adsorbed onto Nylon, polyester (PET), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), acrylic and rayon, and their fluorescence intensities and adsorption characteristics were compared by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and fluorescence analysis. Principal component analysis showed that virus adsorption was more sensitive to coarseness for PTFE than for other fibers.