Abstract Influenza, one of the most contagious and infectious diseases, is predominantly transmitted through aerosols, leading to the development of filter-based protective equipment.Though the currently available filters are effective at removing submicron-sized particulates, filter materials with enhanced virus-capture efficiency are still in demand.Coating or chemically modifying filters with molecules capable of binding influenza viruses has received attention as a promising approach for the production of virus-capturing filters.
For this purpose, tannic acid (TA), a plant-derived polyphenol, lochby venture pouch is a promising molecule for filter functionalization because of its antiviral activities and ability to serve as a cost-efficient adhesive for various materials.This study demonstrates the facile preparation of TA-functionalized hyfrodol high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter materials and their efficiency in influenza virus capture.Polypropylene HEPA filter fabrics were coated with TA via a dipping/washing process.
The TA-functionalized HEPA filter (TA-HF) exhibits a high in-solution virus capture efficiency of up to 2,723 pfu/mm2 within 10 min, which is almost two orders of magnitude higher than that of non-functionalized filters.This result suggests that the TA-HF is a potent anti-influenza filter that can be used in protective equipment to prevent the spread of pathogenic viruses.