Copper filter with fast virus killing ability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023284628-A1
Application number	US-202318182237-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2023
Priority date	Mar 11, 2022
Publication date	Sep 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A porous copper-based filter material that is electrodeposited with nanotwin copper to provide anti-pathogenic properties, particularly against Covid-19 or the SARS virus. The nanotwin copper is a thin layer of (111) oriented nanotwin copper microstructure.

First claim

1 . An anti-pathogen filter, comprising
a filter body having pores; wherein the surfaces of the filter body are coated with any one of
(a) (111) nanotwin Cu;
(b) Cu 6 Sn 5 scallop; or
(c) (111) Cu nanosheet.

2 . An anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the surfaces of the filter body are coated with (111) nanotwin Cu or Cu 6 Sn 5 scallop; and the filter body is a Cu structure.

3 . An anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the filter body is a Cu foam.

4 . An anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the filter body is a cloth, the cloths being woven of fibre coated with Cu threads.

5 . An anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the filter body is 3D printer Cu structure.

6 . An anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the filter body is connected to a supply an electrical current to heat the filter such that the filter is at a temperature of 50 degrees C. to 200 degrees C.

7 . An anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the filter body comprises cloth woven from fibre; and the surface of the fibre is adhered with (111) Cu nanosheet.

8 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter comprising the step of:
providing a filter body; coating the filter body with
(a) (111) nanotwin Cu;
(b) Cu 6 Sn 5 scallop; or
(c) (111) Cu nanosheet.

9 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 8 , where the filter body is a Cu filter body, and the Cu filter body is coated with (111) nanotwin Cu;
the method comprising the step of: providing the Cu filter body; electroplating the Cu filter body to coating the surface of the Cu filter body with nanotwin microstructure on the surface; wherein the electroplating step includes applying high current density under the following electroplating parameters.
Current density: 2 A/dm 2 (ampere per square decimeter, ASD) to 14 A/dm 2 .
Stirring speed: 500-1200 rpm (magnet)|
Cathode: the Cu filter body;
Anode: pure Cu;
distance between cathode and anode: 1-8 cm.
Electroplating solution: high-purity of CuSO 4 solution composed of 0.8 M Cu cations, KCl composed of 80 ppm chloride, 4000 ppm of surfactant, and 50 g/L-110 g/L of H 2 SO 4 .

10 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 8 , where the filter body is a Cu filter body, and the Cu filter body is coated with Cu 6 Sn 5 scallop;
the method comprising the steps of:
immersing the Cu filter body into Sn liquid for a few seconds.
removing the Cu filter body from the Sn liquid; and
applying an etchant at 80 degrees Celsius to etch unreacted Sn on the surface of the Cu filter body, the etchant being 1 part nitric acid, 1 part acetic acid, and 4 parts glycerol.

11 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 9 , where the filter body comprises cloth woven from fibre; and
the surface of the fibre is adhered with (111) Cu nanosheet. the method comprising the steps of:
dissolving into deionised water Cu chloride dihydrate, hexadecylamine and glucose to make a solution;
adding iodine (12, 99.8+%) into the solution;
mixing the solution at a temperature of 50˜150° C. to let the content in the solution react;
extracting precipitated <111> single crystals of Cu of the reaction using chloroform;
washing the precipitate with chloroform;
washing the precipitate with water;
providing fibre coated with adhesive;
coating the adhesive with the <111> single crystals of Cu;
spinning the fibre coated with <111> single crystals of Cu into threads and weaving the threads to produce the cloth.

12 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the solution comprises:
Cu chloride dihydrate (CuCl 2 · 2 H 2 O, 99+%) at 0.5 to 15 g/L; hexadecylamine (98%) at 50 to 120 g/L; and glucose (99.5+%) at 10˜30 g/L.

13 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
applying an adhesive to coat fibres; mixing the adhesive-coated fibres with the <111> single crystals of Cu; spinning the fibres of the anti-pathogen material into threads.

14 . A method of making an anti-pathogen filter as claimed in claim 8 , where the filter body is a Cu filter body, and the Cu filter body is coated with (111) nanotwin Cu or Cu 6 Sn 5 scallop;
the method comprising earlier steps of:
providing pieces of cloths woven of Cu threads;
annealing each piece of cloth under a slight compression to provide the cloth with a flat surface.
stacking the pieces of the cloth to form a 3-dimensional structure; wherein
the holes of every adjacent layer of metal cloth is eccentrically displaced at 45 degrees; and
the distance of displacement is the width of the metal wires used to weave the cloth.

Assignees

• Univ City Hong Kong
• Centre For Immunology & Infection Limted

Inventors

• Tu King-Ning
• Liu Yingxia
• Chen Chang
• Poon Lit Man
• Chin Wing Hong
• Qu Jin
• Heng Yiyuan

Classifications

• A01N59/20 Primary

  Copper · CPC title

• A01N25/08

  containing solids as carriers or diluents · CPC title

• D10B2401/13

  anti-allergenic or anti-bacterial · CPC title

• C25D3/38

  of copper · CPC title

• D06M11/83

  with metals; with metal-generating compounds, e.g. metal carbonyls; Reduction of metal compounds on textiles · CPC title