A Broad‐Spectrum Antimicrobial and Antiviral Membrane Inactivates SARS‐CoV‐2 in Minutes

Liu, Qingsheng; Zhang, Yidan; Liu, Wanjun; Wang, Long‐Hai; Choi, Young W.; Fulton, Megan; Fuchs, Stephanie; Shariati, Kaavian; Qiao, Mingyu; Bernat, Victorien; Ma, Minglin

SARS‐CoV‐2, the virus that caused the COVID‐19 pandemic, can remain viable and infectious on surfaces for days, posing a potential risk for fomite transmission. Liquid‐based disinfectants, such as chlorine‐based ones, have played an indispensable role in decontaminating surfaces but they do not provide prolonged protection from recontamination. Here a safe, inexpensive, and scalable membrane with covalently immobilized chlorine, large surface area, and fast wetting that exhibits long‐lasting, exceptional killing efficacy against a broad spectrum of bacteria and viruses is reported. The membrane achieves a more than 6 log reduction within several minutes against all five bacterial strains tested, including gram‐positive, gram‐negative, and drug‐resistant ones as well as a clinical bacterial cocktail. The membrane also efficiently deactivated nonenveloped and enveloped viruses in minutes. In particular, a 5.17 log reduction is achieved against SARS‐CoV‐2 after only 10 min of contact with the membrane. This membrane may be used on high‐touch surfaces in healthcare and other public facilities or in air filters and personal protective equipment to provide continuous protection and minimize transmission risks.