Tamil Nadu: TNAU comes up with nano hand sanitizer

COIMBATORE: Scientists at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) have developed a hand sanitizer using nanotechnology.
According to them, the sanitizer is more effective than the available products in the market and would provide protection to the hands from any virus or bacteria for at least 10 minutes more than the latter.
Dr A Lakshmanan, head, department of nanoscience and technology, TNAU, says the sanitizer formula that is approved by health department normally contains 70% alcohol combined with hydrogen peroxide and glycerol. Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, he says, act as disinfectants.
“The problem is that the disinfectant molecules evaporate quickly and hence they offer protection for hardly a minute. So, if the users touch a surface with germs after sanitizing hands, they start carrying virus or bacteria again,” he says.
While the scientists used the same sanitizer formula, they enhanced the efficiency through the intervention of nanotechnology. “We have included naturally derived nanosystems in the formulation that act as adsorbents, so that alcohol and hydrogen peroxide molecules are released in a slow and sustained manner. This allows the disinfectants to stay longer on the hand surface. In our trials, we found the effect remaining for 10 to 25 minutes longer than a usual sanitizer,” says Lakshmanan, who led the team and conducted trials of the sanitizer.
The duration of protection, he says, depends on the post application activities of the user. “People who did physical work or washing, cleaning, lifting and handling objects frequently after the sanitizer application had the effect only for 10 minutes, while people who involved in desk work such as writing, typing, watching a movie or just attending an event had the effect on for around 25 minutes.”
TNAU has provided samples to the Indian Medical Association, Dental Association and Veterinary Association members and received promising feedback. TNAU vice-chancellor Dr N Kumar says, “By this month-end, we plan to tie up with companies to commercialize the product. The patent process has been initiated and we expect it to come through soon.”