Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of a new generation of nanoparticle-based consolidants for restoration and contribution to the safe-by-design implementation

Works of art degradation is partially due to microorganism activity. Consolidant antibacterial activity was evaluated on three representative bacterial strains. Silica NPs-based consolidants showed effect on specific bacterial groups, while no specificity was observed with nanolime. In conclusion, silanized SiO2 NPs-based consolidant emerged as the safest and bacteriologically active product. The different biological impact of bare and silanized SiO2 NPs highlights the importance of safe-by-design approach in developing nanoparticle-containing products.