Nanoscience and nanotechnology application to the design and synthesis of new nanostructured or nanofunctionalized materials and to the diagnosis, conservation, monitoring and maintenance of Cultural Patrimony (artifacts containing different material typologies as paintings on canvas or table, mural paintings, glasses, mosaics, ceramics, stones, marbles etc.) has successfully been experienced in detail through an integrated scientific approach by a research team of our Institute. Remarkable and highly qualified and valuable results have been achieved in the following areas:
i) characterization of the constituent materials, of their provenience especially for mosaics, glasses, ceramics, paintings, metals, alloys stones and marbles;
ii) ii) characterization of surface modifications of ancient, historical, modern and contemporany works of art and buidings by integrated new physico-chemical methodologies (FEG-ESEM, TEM microscopy, EDS analyses, EBSD electronic diffractometry XRD, IR, NMR, Raman spectroscopy, Mass spectrometry, termogravimetric analyses, etc.) addressed to the identification of nanoparticles responsible of the different optical, mechanical thermal properties of the investigated complex matrices and to the elucidation of the manufacture techniques;
iii) identification of the conservation state of different manufacts and evaluation, at molecular level, of the efficiency of the past conservative treatments, with a particular care to the decay mechanisms;
iv) identification of decay markers, specific for each of the above mentional artefact typology
v) developments of suitable monitoring and maintenance procedures
vi) design, synthesis and application through appropriate, non invasive methodologies and technologies, of innovative products for conservation, compatible with the artefact to be protected and long resistant to external aggression. In particular a series of functionalized alkoxides were prepared and tested for marble treatment and synthetic geopolymers for stone treatment ;
vii) development of innovative conservation treatments and procedures, cleaning, consolidation and surface modifications, with a particular attention to the use of ecocompatible compounds, solvents and methodologies (i.e. cleaning by nanocontainers using water, cryocleaning by dry CO2),
viii) the scientific direction (Editor in Chief) of the Journal of Cultural Heritage, an international aid for the elaboration, evalutation and dissemination of innovative methodologies and techniques for cultural heritage.
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