Project description
Innovative self-disinfectant antimicrobial nanocoating
Efforts to achieve sustainability and fulfil eco design criteria require us to consider the design of nanocoating, and to move beyond the existing possibilities of conventional chemicals. The EU-funded RELIANCE project will design and develop a smart response self-disinfectant antimicrobial nanocoating based on a new series of smart antimicrobial nanoparticles. These nanoparticles will be modified with biobased bioactive compounds: antimicrobial peptides based on protein containing waste streams, and essential oils coming from non-edible plants. The project will adapt the antibacterial action of these additives to the specific application depending on dosages and durability requirements. RELIANCE will design the coatings to allow microbial repelling action, and adhesion to different substrates such as metals, plastics, or textiles.
Objective
RELIANCE project aims to design and develop smart response self-disinfectant antimicrobial nanocoatings based y a new range of smart antimicrobial nanoparticles. Such nanoparticles will consist of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with metallic copper in their structure, modified with biobased bioactive compounds: Antimicrobial peptides (AMP’s) based on protein containing waste streams, and essential oils (EOs) coming from non-edible plants.
The antibacterial action of these additives will be adjusted to the specific application, according to the dosages and durability requirements. In this way, two alternatives to incorporate the bioactive compounds will be considered:
- The incorporation of the biobased EO into the porous substrate, to allow a controlled release (T or pH) of the bioactive compounds to the environment,
- The attachment of the AMP to the nanoparticles surface, to allow a long-term action of the bioactive compound to the environment.
RELIANCE project combines contact killing and leachable antibacterial actions ascribed to the additive with the non-sticking action due to the coatings formulation, thus providing an integral holistic solution to antimicrobial problems on different surfaces. The nature of the coatings, their characteristics (hydrophobicity and surface roughness) and their application methods (direct deposition by cold-atmospheric plasma, high throughput spraying or selective digital printing) will be specifically designed to allow not only the microbial repelling action, but also the adhesion of the coatings to different substrates commonly found in our living environments, such as metals, plastics or textiles, and to maximize their durability (in terms of performance and antibacterial properties). Beyond the present-day possibilities of conventional chemicals, sustainability and eco design criteria will be considered in the selection of the bioactives, and on the development of the nanocoatings.
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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
20600 Eibar Guipuzcoa
Spain