Textile Coated with Mercaptoethane Sulfonate-functionalized Silver Nanoparticles with Virucidal Activity against SARS-CoV-2

Extended Abstract Recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic emphasized the need for broad-spectrum intervention before virus-specific vaccination and antiviral drugs are readily available. One of such intervention is blocking of a common step in the virus life cycle such as the attachment to the cells. Viruses frequently attach to an abundant adhesion molecules before attachment to a specific receptor. Next to sialic acids, the most common is heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) [1]. The role of HSPG during virus entry was shown for many viruses such as HSV-1, dengue virus, HBV, human papillomavirus, HIV-1 [2], and recently also for SARS-CoV-2 [3]. Mimicking heparan sulfate by silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs) capped with mercaptoethane (AgMES) and mercaptoundecane sulfonate (AuMUS) molecules, was successfully used in the past to inhibit viruses including HSV-1, HSV-2, human