Poly(styrene sulfonate) coated gold nanoparticles display virucidal antiviral activity

Viruses are pathogens capable of causing serious global health problems. Designing and developing interventions against viruses is of paramount importance. By mimicking sulfonated cell surface polymers it is possible to design materials that interact with viruses and inhibit infection. These materials typically have a reversible, non-destructive, virustatic mechanism. A virucidal, destroy on contact, mechanism is advantageous for many applications. We show that by attaching virustatic polymers to a nanoparticle core it is possible to alter their mode of action to virucidal. Here we attach poly(styrene sulfonate)(PSS) to gold nanoparticles. The virustatic antiviral properties of PSS are well known, however, this is the first ime a virucidal mechanism has been achieved. Here we synthesise Thiol-terminated PSS using RAFT polymerisation. This thiol-terminated PSS was then used to synthesise PSS coated AuNPs via reduction of gold salts. These PSS coated AuNPs were then studied for their toxicity, antiviral properties and mode of action. We found that they were non-toxic, broad-spectrum and had a virucidal mode of action. Designing non-toxic virucidal materials is a significant challenge and a simple approach to accessing this advantageous mode of action is urgently needed. This strategy should be applicable to other virustatic polymers, greatly increasing their applicability.