Anti-Microbial Silane Coating With Fingerprint Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional anti-microbial coatings are photo- or heat-sensitive and lack durability and effectiveness, necessitating improved compositions and methods.
Innovation Solution
An anti-microbial coating comprising a microbial inhibition material with a silane compound functionalized with a metal ion, and a fingerprint inhibition material, providing durable and effective microbial and fingerprint resistance without the need for strong reducing agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional anti-microbial coatings are used, then microbial inhibition is achieved, but the coating lacks durability and is photo- or heat-sensitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines silane compounds with metal ions to create a composite coating material that integrates both anti-microbial functionality and enhanced stability. The silane compound serves as a stable organic framework while the metal ion provides anti-microbial activity, creating a composite structure that is more durable and less sensitive to photo- or heat-induced degradation than conventional metal-based coatings alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters by introducing silane compounds with specific functional groups that can form stable bonds with metal ions. This parameter change in the material composition transforms the coating's properties, resulting in improved durability and reduced photo- or heat-sensitivity while maintaining anti-microbial effectiveness.
2Reliability
If conventional anti-microbial coatings are used, then microbial inhibition is achieved, but the coating lacks effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials combining silane compounds and metal ions to enhance anti-microbial effectiveness. The silane compound provides a stable matrix that holds the metal ion, improving the overall effectiveness of the coating compared to conventional approaches while managing complexity through a well-defined composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane compound acts as an intermediary between the substrate and the metal ion. It provides a stable binding framework that enhances the effectiveness of the metal ion's anti-microbial action while simplifying the overall system design compared to direct metal ion application, thus managing complexity effectively.
3Ease of manufacture
If strong reducing agents are used to apply anti-microbial coatings, then metal ion deposition is achieved, but the process becomes complex and less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for strong reducing agents from the coating application process. By using silane compounds that can bind metal ions through alternative mechanisms (such as coordination chemistry), the method eliminates the requirement for harsh reducing agents, simplifying the manufacturing process and improving chemical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane compound serves as an intermediary that facilitates metal ion deposition without requiring strong reducing agents. It provides a gentle, controlled binding mechanism that simplifies the application process and enhances the chemical stability of the resulting coating compared to methods using strong reducing agents.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The coating achieves greater than 99% reduction in microbial retention, maintains chemical stability, and exhibits abrasion resistance, making it suitable for various substrates including glass and plastic in electronic displays and transportation vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
the silane compound comprises a functional group bound to the metal ion
Implementation Method 2
Metal ions, for example, provide anti-microbial activity by irreversibly binding a variety of cellular components of bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and protozoa, therefore disrupting the normal reproduction and growth cycle, resulting in death of the cell
Implementation Method 3
exhibits abrasion resistance
Implementation Method 4
maintains chemical stability
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, an anti-microbial composition (e.g., an anti-microbial coating), and related methods, are generally described. The anti-microbial composition may be used to kill, inhibit growth, mitigate, and/or inhibit retention of one or more microbes and/or bacteria. The anti-microbial properties of the composition may be provided by a microbial inhibition material, which comprises a silane compound (e.g., a first silane compound) functionalized with a metal ion. The composition may also include a fingerprint inhibition material, which comprises a silane compound (e.g., a second silane compound) that may preferably be hydrophobic. The fingerprint inhibition material may comprise an invisible fingerprint material and/or an anti-fingerprint material. The invisible fingerprint material is configured to hide fingerprints by making them optically less visible (e.g., to the human eye), while the anti-fingerprint material may be configured to suppress the retaining of fingerprints. In addition to providing anti-microbial and anti-fingerprint properties, the composition may also be chemically inert, mechanically robust, and/or optically transparent.