Oxidative Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on Photoactive AgNPs@TiO(2) Ceramic Tiles

Djellabi, Ridha; Basilico, Nicoletta; Delbue, Serena; D’Alessandro, Sarah; Parapini, Silvia; Cerrato, Giuseppina; Laurenti, Enzo; Falletta, Ermelinda; Bianchi, Claudia Letizia

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic causes serious public health, social, and economic issues all over the globe. Surface transmission has been claimed as a possible SARS-CoV-2 infection route, especially in heavy contaminated environmental surfaces, including hospitals and crowded public places. Herein, we studied the deactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on photoactive AgNPs@TiO(2) coated on industrial ceramic tiles under dark, UVA, and LED light irradiations. SARS-CoV-2 inactivation is effective under any light/dark conditions. The presence of AgNPs has an important key to limit the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in the dark; moreover, there is a synergistic action when TiO(2) is decorated with Ag to enhance the virus photocatalytic inactivation even under LED. The radical oxidation was confirmed as the the central mechanism behind SARS-CoV-2 damage/inactivation by ESR analysis under LED light. Therefore, photoactive AgNPs@TiO(2) ceramic tiles could be exploited to fight surface infections, especially during viral severe pandemics.