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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Chem.
Sec. Green and Sustainable Chemistry
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fchem.2025.1535787
This article is part of the Research Topic Sustainable Synthesis for Obtaining Elements of Natural Origin with Antimicrobial Properties View all 3 articles

Citronellol-functionalized natural silica: a biogenic approach for antifungal and antibacterial material applications

Provisionally accepted
Guillermo P Lopez Guillermo P Lopez 1,2Leyanet Barberia Roque Leyanet Barberia Roque 1,2Katerine Igal Katerine Igal 1,2Erasmo Gámez-Espinosa Erasmo Gámez-Espinosa 1,2Natalia Bellotti Natalia Bellotti 1,2*
  • 1 National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • 2 Center for Research and Development in Paint and Coating Technology, Faculty of Engineering, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    New bioactive hybrid materials to prevent biofilm-induced biodeterioration are a significant challenge in indoor environments, where contaminants from microbial films compromise structural integrity and contribute to air pollution, posing health risks from prolonged exposure to biological agents. In this study, for the first time, diatomaceous earth or diatomite (Dt) was functionalized with quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) and a biogenic compound, citronellol, to develop a bioactive hybrid material (Dt*QC). Characterization confirmed successful functionalization: thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed organic contents of 50.9% with citronellol incorporation reaching 48.1%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) corroborated the incorporation of organic components. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) further verified the integration of functional groups while preserving the structural stability of the siliceous framework. Antimicrobial assays revealed a broader range of activity for Dt*QC. For bacterial strains, Dt*QC achieved a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.15 mg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and demonstrated over 99.9% bacterial reduction, even at lower concentrations. This study highlights a novel approach to developing antimicrobial materials by functionalizing Dt with QAS and citronellol. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of Dt*QC as an advanced antimicrobial material for applications in coatings and preservation systems, offering a sustainable solution to prevent biodeterioration and microbial contamination.

    Keywords: diatomaceous earth1, citronellol2, functionalization3, bioactive hybrids4, terpenoid5, antifungal6, antibacterial7, biocide8

    Received: 27 Nov 2024; Accepted: 09 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Lopez, Roque, Igal, Gámez-Espinosa and Bellotti. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Natalia Bellotti, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.