Ultra-Active Antimicrobial Copper Surfaces, Self-Sterilizing in 30-60 sec: Engineered Copper at the Nanoscale

Dr. Alfred Zinn, Founder and CTO at Kuprion Inc.

Wed May 12 – Agenda (California Time)
11:30 AM – Check-in & Nano Journal Club:
A materials-science perspective on tackling COVID-19 – Come prepared to discuss!
     12:00 PM – Announcements and Speaker Introduction
     12:10 PM – 1:00 PM : Seminar
Cost: Free, but registration is required

Register on Eventbrite: Here
     Registered attendees will receive an email with a link for the Zoom meeting

     The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created an acute worldwide demand for sustained broadband pathogen suppression in households, hospitals, and public spaces. The US recently passed a new sad milestone of 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19, the highest rate anywhere in the world. In response, we have created a rapid-acting, self-sterilizing copper material capable of killing SARS-CoV-2 and many other microbes in seconds. The highly active material destroys pathogens faster than any conventional copper configuration. The material maintains its antimicrobial efficacy over weeks and is shelf stable. We have performed rigorous testing in accordance with guidelines from U.S. governing authorities and believe that the material could offer broad spectrum, non-selective defense against most microbes via integration into masks and other protective equipment. The presentation will provide a detailed view into the “inner” workings of the material including the underlying mechanical details that make this high efficacy possible.

     

     Dr. Alfred Zinn is founder and CTO of Kuprion Inc., a materials company principally engaged in the manufacture and application of engineered copper materials for a wide variety of applications such as surface mount technology, packaging, printed circuit board assembly, printed electronics, 3D printing, injection molding and many thermal applications with special focus on copper-based nanomaterials. The latter are fused to bulk copper to take advantage of the low processing temperatures, and the high electrical and thermal conductivity of bulk copper. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Zinn and the Kuprion team have been investigating ActiveCopper (aCu) as a powerful antimicrobial. aCu has been successfully tested against Gram-negative and positive bacteria, non/enveloped viruses including SARS-CoV-2, and multiple resistant strains of bacteria (“superbugs”). In all instances it kills pathogens in 1 minutes or less, which is an unprecedented level of efficacy for copper. With these extraordinary findings, Dr. Zinn has submitted the material for EPA registration for incorporation into PPE such as masks, gloves, and surface coatings.

Alfred received his Doctor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1990 from the Philipps University, Marburg, Germany. Prior to his current position, Dr. Zinn was a Lockheed Martin Fellow at the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) of the Lockheed Martin Space System Company, in Palo Alto, CA. He holds over 40 patents in materials, structures and processing technologies and THz technology. He has authored or coauthored over 30 archival journal publications, including book chapters in “The Chemistry of Metal CVD” as well as the “Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry.” Over the past two decades, he has presented his technical results and accomplishments at many national and international Conferences.

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