Galvanic Corrosion of Copper Induced by Metal Nanoparticles for Creating Antiviral Nanocomposites

This paper reports on developing copper-based nanocomposite surfaces with enhanced metal ion release for virucidal applications. We used one of the biggest enemies of building construction, galvanic corrosion, and applied it at the nanoscale to fight against viruses. It was proven that copper ion release is significantly increased if the copper surfaces are in direct contact with nanoparticles from a more noble metal. This enhancement subsequently leads to a more robust virucidal action against tick-borne encephalitis virus, human coronavirus OC43, and SARS-CoV-2, causing the disease of COVID-19; we attribute this effect to increased corrosion caused by electrical contact of dissimilar metals. Furthermore, it is shown that the technology of enhancing copper ion release caused by galvanic corrosion induced by nanoparticles might be transferred to nonwoven textile fabrics, which paves the way to produce effective virucidal textiles for both personal protection and air filtering applications.