Advances in the application of nanomaterials for natural stone conservation

Abstract

The unpredictable effects of climate change impose the safeguarding of Cultural Heritage (CH) with effective and durable materials as a vital solution in the invaluable socioeconomic resource of CH. Conservation products and methodologies are addressed under recent advancements in colloidal science providing multi-functional solutions for cleaning, consolidation, protection, and monitoring of the architectural surfaces. Nanoscience significantly contributes to enrich the palette of materials and tools that can guarantee an effective response to aggressive environmental agents. Nanostructured multi-functional nanoparticles, nanostructured fluids, and gels for stone conservation are reviewed and future perspectives are also commented. The stability and high flexibility in designing tailored made nanoparticles according to the specific characteristics of the substrate enable their use in a variety of applications. Stemming from the well-performed in lab applications with nanomaterials, the testing onsite and the monitoring of their effectiveness are of crucial importance, considering also the constructive feedback from conservators and heritage stakeholders that can unquestionably contribute to the improvement and optimisation of the nanomaterials for CH protection.

A Two-Step Surface Modification Methodology for the Advanced Protection of a Stone Surface

“…The combination of covalent and ionic bonding mechanisms contributes to the effectiveness and longevity of the treatment, making it a promising method for enhancing the properties of natural stone surfaces. One important aspect of the stone treatment is the right selection of coupling agent, which ensures the anchoring of most nanoparticles on the mineral substrate [ 28 , 33 ].…”

“…This research aims to provide valuable insights into the intricate relationships between material properties and the performance of surface treatments for natural stone. The efficiency of silver nanoparticles in the protection of stone substrates by treating two different porous sedimentary stones with siloxane-based coupling agents and silver nanoparticles obtained in the laboratory was evaluated and was proved to ensure long-term protection against biofilm formation [32][33][34][35]. Silver nanoparticles have high antimicrobial activity (bactericidal, fungicidal activity) [12].…”

Application of Inorganic Nanomaterials in Cultural Heritage Conservation, Risk of Toxicity, and Preventive Measures

“…Due to the success achieved in repairing and cleaning surfaces, many of them on canvases, sculptures, ancient wood, or architectural monuments, its objective was expanded towards a new challenge: how to control the effect of deterioration caused by biological action [100,101]. It was then time to design or apply nanomaterials already being used in medicine, such as nano-titanium oxide [100,102], nano-silver [103], or nano-Zn oxide [104] or nano-compounds mixtures [105][106][107][108].…”

Electrochemical Synthesis and Analytical Characterization of Hybrid Zinc/Calcium Antimicrobial Nano‐Oxides for Cultural Heritage Applications

“…Nanomaterials are nowadays accepted tools for cultural heritage applications, spanning over artwork cleaning procedures, [1] stone preservation, [2] protective/antimicrobial agents against (bio)deterioration [3] . Therefore, researchers have focused on the development of specific nanoformulations suitable for the field, such as nanostructured inorganic components for stone consolidation [4–6] or biocidal nanomaterials [7–9] .…”