Hui Zhao (Mechanical Engineering) recently received an R21 grant from the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health, tittled "Durable Self-cleaning Fluorinated Graphene Oxide Coated N95 Respirators."

The project will spray-coat highly fluorinated graphene oxide onto the outer surface of the N95 respirator to to make the N95 respirators less contaminated by repelling the respiratory droplets off the respirator’s surface instantaneously. In addition, the extraordinary robustness of graphene oxide to various environmental challenges is supposed to address the durability issue associated with frequently reusing. The success of the project can have an immediate impact on combatting COVID-19 by better protecting the health care workers through making the respirators less contaminated and more durable.