Soda-lime glass and kaolin clay contain nanoparticles capable of reducing viral infectivity by more than 99% within 10 minutes of contact.

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A study by Spanish researchers has identified a type of glass and clay that have potent virucidal activity. These are low-cost inorganic materials that can be used to decontaminate surfaces, liquids and air containing viral particles. These two materials reduce viral infectivity by more than 99% within 10 minutes of contact and have been tested against covid-19, influenza, herpes simplex viruses and adenoviruses. They are also effective against bacteria and fungi. These materials could be used as effective antiviral disinfectants and in the future could be used to develop antiviral drugs with low or no toxicity.

The results, published in Materials Today Bio (MTBio), are the result of collaboration between researchers from the Centre for Research in Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (CINN, CSIC-University of Oviedo-Principality of Asturias) and the CEU San Pablo University. Researchers from CISA-CSIC, CIMA (University of Navarra), and the Complutense University of Madrid have also participated.

The researchers have described the remarkable antiviral activity of two types of inorganic materials: a novel soda-lime glass and clay, called kaolin, containing silver or copper oxide nanoparticles, which deactivate virus infectivity. On contact with the viruses, these materials provoke a Physico-chemical reaction that inhibits the growth of these pathogens. The mechanism of action is directly linked to the properties of the material, which induces virus aggregation in the case of glass or adsorption in the case of kaolin-based materials, as well as the ions released into the medium.

“These materials are capable of significantly inhibiting microbiological growth, whether bacterial, fungal or viral, and are perfectly compatible with living beings and the environment,” says CINN researcher Belén Cabal. In addition, “they have other important advantages, such as their high stability and low cost, which makes them exceptionally suitable materials for the prevention and control of diseases of both bacterial and viral origin,” says Cabal.

“The strong antiviral properties of these materials are capable of reducing viral infectivity by more than 99% within 10 minutes of contact with these materials. The powerful virucidal activity has been tested on viruses with very different physicochemical characteristics, such as the vesicular stomatal virus, from the same family as the rabies virus, the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), adenoviruses, the influenza virus or SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the current pandemic,” says CEU San Pablo University researcher Estanislao Nistal Villán.

The use of these materials to eliminate viruses from water or their application in air filters could be used to prevent endemic infections, both in farm animals and humans. They can also be used as antiviral disinfectants in current or future pandemic threats.