Omicron SARS-CoV-2 antiviral on poly(lactic acid) with nanostructured copper coating: Wear effects

[Display omitted] •Surface nanostructuration of PLA via two-step plasma treatment.•Cu-coated PLA with nanostructured surface and antiviral activities against Omicron SARS-CoV-2.•Cu-coated PLA with a hydrophobic nanostructured surface.•Wear resistant Cu-coated PLA with antiviral properties against coronavirus.•Nanocone patterns on Cu-coated PLA surfaces undergo modifications along wear cycles. Surface modification corresponds to a set of viable technological approaches to introduce antimicrobial properties in materials that do not have such characteristics. Antimicrobial materials are important to prevent the proliferation of microorganisms and minimize the transmission of diseases caused by pathogens. Herein, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was decorated with nanocones through copper sputtering followed by a plasma etching. Antiviral assays by Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) show that nanostructured Cu-coated PLA has high antiviral activity against Omicron SARS-CoV-2, showing a relative reduction in the amplified RNA (78.8 ± 3.9 %). Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and wear-resistance tests show that 20 wear cycles disrupt the surface nanocone patterns and significantly reduce the Cu content at the surface of the nanostructured Cu-coated PLA, leading to total loss of the antiviral properties of nanostructured PLA against Omicron SARS-CoV-2.