Silicon, Gold, and Copper: New Weapons Against COVID-19

The spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2, a strain of coronaviruses that caused the COVID-19 pandemic, become trapped when they meet silicon, gold, and copper, and electric fields can be used to destroy the spike proteins, likely killing the virus, has found New Curtin research.

Can Metals Trap COVID-19 Virus?

Coronaviruses have spike proteins on their periphery that allows them to penetrate host cells and cause infection and they have found these proteins become stuck to the surface of silicon, gold, and copper through a reaction that forms a strong chemical bond. Researchers believe these materials can be used to capture coronaviruses by being used in air filters, as a coating for benches, tables, and walls, or in the fabric of wipe cloths and face masks. Capturing coronaviruses in these ways would prevent them from reaching and infecting more people.

The study also found the coronavirus could be detected and destroyed using electrical pulses. The electric current can pass through the spike protein and because of this, the protein can be electrically detected.

Silicon, Gold, and Copper Could Help Fight COVID-19

In the future, this finding can be translated to involve applying the solution to a mouth or nose swab and testing it in a tiny electronic device able to electrically detect the proteins of the virus. This would provide instant, more sensitive, and accurate COVID-19 testing.

By applying electrical pulses, they found the spike protein’s structure is changed and at a certain magnitude of the pulses, the protein is destroyed. Therefore, electric fields can potentially deactivate coronaviruses.

So, by incorporating materials such as copper or silicon in air filters, we can potentially capture and consequently stop the spread of the virus. Also importantly, by incorporating electric fields through air filters, for example, we also expect this to deactivate the virus.

This study is exciting both fundamentally as it enables a better understanding of coronaviruses and from an applied perspective in helping to develop tools to fight the transmission of current and future coronaviruses.

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Source-Eurekalert