3D-printed graphene polylactic acid devices resistant to SARS-CoV-2: Sunlight-mediated sterilization of additive manufactured objects

Additive manufacturing has played a crucial role in the COVID-19 global emergency allowing for rapid\r\nproduction of medical devices, indispensable tools for hospitals, or personal protection equipment.\r\nHowever, medical devices, especially in nosocomial environments, represent high touch surfaces prone\r\nto viral infection and currently used filaments for 3D printing can't inhibit transmission of virus [1].\r\nGraphene-family materials are capable of reinforcing mechanical, optical and thermal properties of 3D\r\nprinted constructs. In particular, graphene can adsorb near-infrared light with high efficiency. Here we\r\ndemonstrate that the addition of graphene nanoplatelets to PLA filaments (PLA-G) allows the creation of\r\n3D-printed devices that can be sterilized by near-infrared light exposure at power density analog to\r\nsunlight. This method has been used to kill SARS-CoV-2 viral particles on the surface of 3D printed PLA-G\r\nby 3 min of exposure. 3D-printed PLA-G is highly biocompatible and can represent the ideal material for\r\nthe production of sterilizable personal protective equipment and daily life objects intended for multiple\r\nusers.