Chemical Glue
Industry: Permanent antimicrobial surface coating
Chemical Glue has developed a method for attaching a functional molecule to almost any surface — including glass, aluminum, wood, cotton, polyester or paint — to resist microbes. The method uses a chemical compound called benzophenone that when activated, creates an extremely powerful covalent carbon-hydrogen bond between the chosen material and the antimicrobial molecule.
While the technology has many potential applications, Chemical Glue is focusing its initial efforts on developing permanently antimicrobial materials, using the “glue” to affix naturally antimicrobial molecules to various surfaces. Permanently antimicrobial materials fulfill an urgent need for the healthcare industry, where infections acquired in hospitals represent a significant source of patient risk and lead to 100,000 deaths annually.
The company’s internal testing has demonstrated that the materials have strong resistance to abrasion, offering longer-lasting resistance to microbes than that which is found in similar products.
Such antimicrobial materials would also prove valuable in schools, hospitals, restaurants, playgrounds and more, all of which all represent lucrative potential markets.
