Microstructured Surfaces for Reducing Chances of Fomite Transmission via Virus-Containing Respiratory Droplets.

Evaporation-induced particle aggregation in drying droplets is of significant importance in the prevention of pathogen transfer due to the possibility of indirect fomite transmission of the infectious virus particles. In this study, particle aggregation was directionally controlled using contact line dynamics (pinned or slipping) and geometrical gradients on microstructured surfaces by the systematic investigation of the evaporation process on sessile droplets and sprayed microdroplets laden with virus-simulant nanoparticles. Using this mechanism, we designed robust particle capture surfaces by significantly inhibiting the contact transfer of particles from fomite surfaces.

Multiscale Structures Aggregated by Imprinted Nanofibers for Functional Surfaces.

Multiscale surface structures have attracted increasing interest owing to several potential applications in surface devices. However, an existing challenge in the field is the fabrication of hybrid micro-nano structures using a facile, cost-effective, and high-throughput method. To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a protocol to fabricate multiscale structures using only an imprint process with an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) filter and an evaporative self-aggregation process of nanofibers.