Virucidal and Bactericidal Properties of Biocompatible Copper Textiles

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the global threat posed by emerging viruses, emphasizing the critical need for effective strategies to combat pathogen transmission. Moreover, alongside emerging viruses, the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance further reinforces the need to develop novel methods for infection control. Anti-pathogenic coatings on textiles offer a promising solution; in this study, three electroless copper-plated fabrics are evaluated for their antipathogenic properties following International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards. Prior to electroless plating, materials are activated either by immersion in a Pd catalyst solution (material A) or by ink-jet printing Cu/Ag catalyst along the weft (material B) or warp thread (material C). This study demonstrates that activation method influences the materials antipathogenic performance, with all materials achieving complete bactericidal/fungicidal neutralization within 30 min of incubation. Material B exhibits up to 4-log virucidal effects within 1 h against viruses such as coronavirus (OC43, 229E), Influenza A (H1N1), and Rotavirus A. Furthermore, biocompatibility testing indicates that material B exhibited low in vitro cytotoxicity. Textile B demonstrates strong antibacterial results even after one year of accelerated aging with no significant difference (P = 0.74) in efficiency against MRSA, highlighting promising applications for infection control in clinical settings reducing pathogen transmission, nosocomial infections and the associated economic burden.