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Confined Aqueous Media for the Cleaning of Cultural Heritage: Innovative Gels and Amphiphile-Based Nanofluids

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Nanoscience and Cultural Heritage

Abstract

This chapter presents the applicative potentialities of gels for the cleaning of artworks surfaces. In particular, innovative physical and chemical gels, with high water retention capability, high responsiveness to external stimuli, and suitable mechanical properties, are described. The high solvent retention capability and the specific mechanical properties of these gels allow the safe cleaning of artifacts, even including water-sensitive substrates. In fact, the cleaning action is limited to the contact surface, and the complete removal of soil is achieved while avoiding solvent spreading and absorption within the substrate. In particular, the use of gels based on semi-interpenetrating (IPN) polymer networks provides great advantages because these gels are able to load water-based detergent systems, such as micellar solutions and microemulsions, which are effective in removing synthetic adhesives and highly hydrophobic detrimental materials. The combination of semi-IPN polymer networks with these detergents allows the cleaning of sensitive substrates such as canvas paintings and manuscripts.

Michele Baglioni, Piero Baglioni: No kinship exists among these authors

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Acknowledgments

Aurelia Chevalier is acknowledged for her help in the assessment of acrylamide-based hydrogels for the removal of polymeric coatings from relining canvases. Florence Gorel is acknowledged for the preparation of samples for the assessment of p(HEMA)/PVP hydrogels. Vittoria Castoldi and Luciano Formica (Studio Restauri Formica s.r.l.) are gratefully acknowledged for giving us the opportunity to test the nanofluid-loaded hydrogels on an extremely interesting conservation case. Patrizia Buratti (Studio Restauri Formica s.r.l.) is acknowledged for the assistance during the cleaning test on the painting by E. Castellani. This work was partly funded by NANOFORART—Nano-materials for the conservation and preservation of movable and immovable artworks, FP7-NMP European project (http://www.nanoforart.eu) and NANORESTART—NANOmaterials for the REStoration of works of ART, EU programme Horizon 2020 (www.nanorestart.eu).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019, Florence, Italy

    Nicole Bonelli, David Chelazzi, Michele Baglioni, Rodorico Giorgi & Piero Baglioni

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  1. Nicole Bonelli
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  2. David Chelazzi
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  3. Michele Baglioni
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  4. Rodorico Giorgi
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  5. Piero Baglioni
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Correspondence to Piero Baglioni .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CEA Saclay, LAPA/NIMBE Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France

    Philippe Dillmann

  2. Interactions et Spectroscopies UPMC-CNRS, MONARIS “de la Molécule aux Nano-objets, Paris, France

    Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet

  3. Nenner.conseil Ltd, Chaville, France

    Irène Nenner

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Bonelli, N., Chelazzi, D., Baglioni, M., Giorgi, R., Baglioni, P. (2016). Confined Aqueous Media for the Cleaning of Cultural Heritage: Innovative Gels and Amphiphile-Based Nanofluids. In: Dillmann, P., Bellot-Gurlet, L., Nenner, I. (eds) Nanoscience and Cultural Heritage. Atlantis Press, Paris. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-198-7_10

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