Nanostructured coatings based on metallic nanoparticles as viral entry inhibitor to combat COVID-19

The rapid transmission of contagious viruses responsible for global pandemic and various extraordinary risk to precious human life including death. For instance, the current ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused by novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a communicable disease which is transmitted via touching the contaminated surfaces and then nosocomial route. In absence of effective vaccines and therapies, antiviral coatings are essential in order to prevent or slowdown rapid transmission of viruses. In this prospective, sustainable nanotechnology and material engineering have provided substantial contribution in development of engineered nanomaterial based antiviral coated surfaces to the humanity. In the recent past, nanomaterials based on silver (Ag), titanium oxide (TiO(2)), copper sulfide (CuS) and copper oxide (CuO) have been modified in the form of engineered nanomaterials with effective antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. In this review, various recent fundamental aspects for fabrication of metallic nanoparticles (Ag, Ti, Cu etc.) based coated surfaces on various substrates and their antiviral efficacy to inhibit viral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 are discussed along with their respective conceptual mechanisms. The antiviral mechanism based on chemistry of engineered nanomaterials is the key outcome of this review that would be useful for future research in designing and development of more advance antiviral materials and coated surfaces in order to control of future epidemics.