The Science
Microbes & Antimicrobials
Microbes (or microorganisms) are tiny organisms that include viruses and bacteria.
They are widespread in nature and many pose serious health risks to humans. Microbes can survive on common surfaces for weeks and interaction with contaminated surfaces contributes to the transmission of infectious diseases.
Antimicrobials are designed to destroy or inhibit the growth of microbes, particularly pathogenic microbes, by targeting their protective layer. In viruses, this protective layer is designed to preserve the infectious components within long enough to infect a host. Non-enveloped viruses have a capsid protein layer, whilst enveloped viruses have a lipid membrane with spike proteins.
The key to inactivating a virus quickly is to damage these protective proteins and attack the DNA/RNA.
DID YOU KNOW?
Research by the CSIRO shows that they virus responsible for COVID-19 can survive on surfaces for up to 28 days.
How Copper Works
Copper is a unique metal with naturally occurring antimicrobial properties. Unlike silver and gold, copper has a free electron in its outer orbital shell of electrons that easily takes part in oxidation-reduction reactions.
When a microbe lands on copper, ions blast the them like a spray of bullets, preventing cell respiration and punching holes in the cell membrane of bacteria or the protective coating of a virus. Free radicals; Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are created in the process, accelerating the kill.
DID YOU KNOW?
Humans made use of copper's disinfecting power for thousands of years, long before their knowledge of viruses & bacteria.
Creating Nanoshield™
Nanoshield™ uses a patented copper compound with very high protein adsorption and denaturation abilities resulting in our remarkable antiviral activity.
By increasing the active surface area through tiny copper particles, Nanoshield™ surcharges the antimicrobial effect provided by traditional copper, disinfection times are reduced from over 2-4 hours to mere minutes.
Nanoshield™ disperses patented copper tiny particles evenly within a transparent resin layer that sits above a plastic substrate (film). These tiny particles are responsible for the excellent antiviral and antibacterial effect Nanoshield™ provides.
The Nanoshield™ range films can be applied to a wide range of frequently touch surfaces & devices. Transforming these touch points from an infection risk to self-disinfecting germ eliminating environment.
Antibacterial
Nanoshield™ copper ions react with the surrounding oxygen to cause a chemical redox reaction. Cu2+ (cupric ion) is initially reduced by superoxide (O₂•–), and is then re-oxidized by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH), a reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Bacteria produce (O₂•–) and H₂O₂ during metabolic processes and ROS react with biomolecules, causing damage to proteins and nucleic acids, providing an antibacterial effect.
Antiviral
All viruses have a protective protein layer that attempts to preserve the infectious DNA or RNA within. Nanoshield's copper tiny particles are rapidly absorbed by this protein, damaging the structural integrity, exposing the infectious components. Copper ions then target the DNA or RNA, rapidly eliminating the virus.
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
In the presence of H₂O₂, a by-product of bacteria metabolism, copper tiny particles react with oxygen acting as a catalyst for oxidation through redox cycling between Cu+ (cuprous) and Cu2+ (cupric) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed. ROS are highly unstable oxygen containing molecules that damage both the proteins and nucleic acids in viruses and bacteria
Our Performance
Efficacy
Not all copper is created equally; the oxidation states of copper compounds cause large differences in antiviral performance. Nanoshield™ active component is a patented copper compound with much more efficient antiviral activity compared with copper alloy. This is mostly due to the high protein absorption and denaturation ability cuprous compounds exhibit.DID YOU KNOW?
Nanoshield™ kills up to 99.99% of viruses & bacteria in 15 minutes.
Lab Testing
Nanoshield™ against viruses and bacteria. Independent ISO standard testing (ISO: 21702 & ISO: 22196) has been conducted at Hatano Research Institute Food and Drug Safety Center (Japan), BioScience Laboratories (USA), National University of Singapore, Dubai Central Laboratory Department, BioTech Testing Services (India) and Nestle Research Centre (Switzerland).
Results:
- 99.99% of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in 15 minutes
- 99.99% Influenza (H3N2) in 3 minutes
- 99.95% of Coronavirus 229E in 15 minutes
- 99.99% of Coronavirus OC43 in 30 minutes
- 99.99% Norovirus surrogate (FCV) in 5 minutes
- 99.89% Escherichia virus (MS2) in 5 minutes
- 99.99% E. coli in 5 minutes
- 99.99% Staphylococcus aureus in 15 minutes
