Highly Efficient and Rapid Inactivation of Coronavirus on Non‐Metal Hydrophobic Laser‐Induced Graphene in Mild Conditions

The prevalence of COVID‐19 has caused global dysfunction in terms of public health, sustainability, and socio‐economy. While vaccination shows potential in containing the spread, the development of surfaces that effectively reduces virus transmission and infectivity is also imperative, especially amid the early stage of the pandemic. However, most virucidal surfaces are operated under harsh conditions, making them impractical or potentially unsafe for long‐term use. Here, it is reported that laser‐induced graphene (LIG) without any metal additives shows marvelous antiviral capacities for coronavirus. Under low solar irradiation, the virucidal efficacy of the hydrophobic LIG (HLIG) against HCoV‐OC43 and HCoV‐229E can achieve 97.5% and 95%, respectively. The photothermal effect and the hydrophobicity of the HLIG synergistically contribute to the superior inactivation capacity. The stable antiviral performance of HLIG enables its multiple uses, showing advantages in energy saving and environmental protection. This work discloses a potential method for antiviral applications and has implications for the future development of antiviral materials. The hydrophobic laser‐induced graphene (HLIG) enables effective inactivation of coronavirus from the synergy of photothermal effect and hydrophobicity. The non‐metal HLIG achieves a 97.5% and 95% virucidal efficacy for HCoV‐OC43 and HCoV‐229E in 15 min under solar irradiation. In addition, the antiviral performance of HLIG is stable after multiple uses.