Award Submission: Photo-Activated Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity of Porphyrin-Conjugated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

We describe the design of porphyrin-conjugated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT-P) that show significant activity against S. aureus and influenza viruses. S. aureus infections can lead to life-threatening situations, especially when caused by antibiotic-resistant strains. Influenza spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, resulting in thousands of deaths every year, up to millions in some pandemic years.   To design antibacterial and antiviral conjugates, we attached Protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) to acid-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). We selected carbon nanotubes as scaffolds because of their ease of recovery from solution via simple filtration, and their ability to form large area coatings. In the presence of visible light, MWNT-P deactivated S. aureus and also significantly reduced the ability of Influenza A virus to infect mammalian cells. Films made of MWNT-P also exhibited potent biocidal activity against S. aureus. This work thus provides a facile approach to incorporate porphyrins into coatings and makes them re-usable which may lead to their more widespread use as antibacterial and antiviral agents/coatings.