Control of fungal deterioration of ceramic materials by green nanoadditives-based coatings

Abstract

Biodeterioration of building materials causes financial losses as restoration and conservation processes need to be carried out. Filamentous fungi invade the surface of ceramic materials causing fungal deterioration, in these cases, coatings with antimicrobial additives are used to control this phenomenon. This research is aimed to assess the use of sol-gel coating with antifungal nanoparticles to control biodeterioration on ceramic materials. Nanoparticles were obtained by green synthesis using an aqueous solution of tannin from Schinopsis balansae and Caesalpinia spinose. Moreover, AgNO3 salt, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (AMEO), or 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MTMO) were used as precursors on the sol-gel coatings. Coatings with AMEO and silver nanoparticles showed better antifungal performance to protect ceramic materials, as opposed to those coatings containing MTMO and silver nanoparticles. Therefore, the functionalized sol-gel coatings with antifungal nanoparticles showed their efficiency in the control of fungal deterioration to protect clay bricks.