Conducting polymers as sorbents of influenza viruses

Polyaniline, polypyrrole and conjugated polymers modified with silver nanoparticles have been studied as sorbents of influenza viruses from aqueous media. The sorption of various strains of influenza viruses, including A and B viruses circulating in recent years in Russia Federation, The United States of America, and in Western Europe, have been examined. It is shown that the sorbents based on conducting polymers removed from water large variety of virus strains and the efficiency of adsorption was higher compared with a carbon sorbent. The sorption of both purified and unpurified viruses associated with non-viral proteins were studied. The sorption takes place rapidly enough in the temperature range 4–37 °C and, as a result, the infection viral activity of solution was reduced by 4–6 orders of magnitude. The effectiveness of virus adsorption virtually unchanged in the whole temperature range. Polyaniline and polypyrrole composites with silver provide almost complete removal of viruses and complete water treatment, and this also applies to unpurified influenza viruses. Preliminary assessment of toxicity in vitro has not identified the cytopathic action of polyaniline that is the most problematic in terms of toxicity.