Title:
Flexible Nanoporous Template for the Design and Development of Reusable Anti-COVID-19 Hydrophobic Face Masks
Authors:
Nazek El-Atab, Nadeem Qaiser, Huda Badghaish, Sohail F. Shaikh & Muhammad Mustafa Hussain
Note:
All the authors are from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Published:
ACS Nano, 20 May 2020
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c03976
From the abstract:
"Since the outbreak of the severe respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the use of face masks has become ubiquitous worldwide to control the rapid spread of this pandemic. As a result, the world is currently facing a face mask shortage, and some countries have placed limits on the number of masks that can be bought by each person. Although the surgical grade N95 mask provides the highest level of protection currently available, its filtration efficiency for sub-300 nm particles is around 85% due to its wider pore size (∼300 nm). Because the COVID-19 virus shows a diameter of around 65–125 nm, there is a need for developing more efficient masks. To overcome these issues, we demonstrate the development of a flexible, nanoporous membrane to achieve a reusable N95 mask with a replaceable membrane and enhanced filtration efficiency."