Electrospun polysaccharidic nanofibers with bacteria and nanoparticles for cleaning and disinfection of Cultural Heritage

The present Thesis focuses on the fabrication of biopolymer-based nanofibrous mats via electrospinning technique primarily for, but not limited to, the development of advanced tools for Cultural Heritage conservation. Specifically, this project arose to overcome the limitations of traditional cleaning and disinfection methods, which often lack control or involve hazardous materials. To tackle this task, this Thesis proposes the use of electrospun polysaccharides (like Agar, Agarose, and Gellan) and biodegradable, biocompatible synthetic polymers (like PEO, PVA, and PCL), along with innovative approaches like photo-crosslinking to enhance properties such as water resistance. In the first Chapters, after a general discussion concerning traditional and innovative cleaning, biocleaning, and disinfection procedures in Cultural Heritage restoration, this Thesis concentrates on briefly presenting the electrospinning technique, the properties of metal nanoparticles, the selected biopolymers and synthetic polymers, and the experimental methodologies and characterization approaches used to achieve the investigated purpose. Then, polysaccharides (Agar, Agarose) and synthetic polymers (PVA, PEO) are employed for the fabrication of nanofibrous mats as cleaning tools. Their physical-chemical properties, and especially their swelling and deswelling capabilities for the controlled release of organic solvents, are fully characterized. As a matter of fact, the developed systems effectively display significant capacity as supports for cleaning and sustainable conservation procedures. In the second part, the green synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles mediated by Agar and Agarose is investigated, leading to the development of electrospun Agar-based nanocomposite mats for artwork disinfection. In parallel, the potential of electrospinning for sustainable biocleaning is assessed through the development of electrospun PCL mats designed as bacterial supports, characterizing their metabolic activity and bacterial adhesion. These results are an important first step in making straightforward the application of electrospinning for conservation science, granting the possibility to easily prepare nanofibrous meshes with potential uses in various application fields, with particular relevance in the sustainable cleaning, biocleaning, and disinfection of Cultural Heritage