Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3-Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.
Acc Chem Res. 2010 Jun 15;43(6):695-704. doi: 10.1021/ar900193h.
Modern civilization's inherited artworks have a powerful impact on society, from political, sociological, and anthropological points of view, so the conservation of our Cultural Heritage is fundamental for conveying to future generations our culture, traditions, and ways of thinking and behaving. In the conservation of cultural artifacts, scientists intervene in the degradation of often unique handcrafts, resulting from a delicate balance of aging, unpredicted events, environmental conditions, and sometimes incorrect previous restoration treatments, the details of which are often not precisely known. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are revolutionizing materials science in a pervasive way, in a manner similar to polymer chemistry's revolution of materials science over the preceding century. The continuous development of novel nanoparticle-based materials and the study of physicochemical phenomena at the nanoscale are creating new approaches to conservation science, leading to new methodologies that can "revert" the degradation processes of the works of art, in most cases "restoring" them to their original magnificent appearance. Until recently, serendipity and experiment have been the most frequent design principles of formulations for either cleaning or consolidation of works of art. Accordingly, the past has witnessed a number of actively detrimental treatments, such as the application of acrylic and vinyl resins to wall paintings, which can irreversibly jeopardize the appearance (or even the continued existence) of irreplaceable works of art. Current research activity in conservation science is largely based on the paradigm that compatibility of materials is the most important prerequisite for obtaining excellent and durable results. The most advanced current methodologies are (i) the use of water-based micelles and microemulsions (neat or combined with gels) for the removal of accidental contaminants and polymers used in past restorations and (ii) the application of calcium hydroxide nanoparticles for the consolidation of works of art. In this Account, we highlight how conservation science can benefit from the conceptual and the methodological background derived from both soft (microemulsions and micelles for cleaning) and hard (nanoparticles for consolidation) nanoscience. A combination of different nanotechnologies allows today's conservators to provide, in each restoration step, interventions respectful of the physicochemical characteristics of the materials used by artists. The "palette" of methods provided by nanoscience is continuously enriching the field, and the development of novel nanomaterials and the study of nanoscale physicochemical phenomena will further improve the performance of restoration formulations and our comprehension of degradation mechanisms.
现代文明的传世之作从政治、社会学和人类学的角度对社会有着强大的影响，因此保护我们的文化遗产对于向后代传递我们的文化、传统以及思维和行为方式至关重要。在文化艺术品的保护中，科学家们介入到经常是独特的手工艺品的退化过程中，这是由于老化、意外事件、环境条件的微妙平衡，有时还有先前不正确的修复处理造成的，而这些处理的细节往往并不确切知晓。纳米科学和纳米技术正在以类似于上个世纪聚合物化学对材料科学的革命的方式彻底改变材料科学。新型纳米材料的不断发展以及纳米尺度上物理化学现象的研究正在为保护科学创造新的方法，从而产生新的方法，可以“逆转”艺术品的退化过程，在大多数情况下，将其“恢复”到原始的壮丽外观。直到最近，偶然发现和实验一直是制定艺术品清洁或加固配方的最常见设计原则。因此，过去见证了许多积极的有害处理，例如将丙烯和乙烯树脂应用于壁画，这可能会不可逆转地危及不可替代的艺术品的外观（甚至是其继续存在）。保护科学领域的当前研究活动主要基于以下范例：材料的兼容性是获得优异和持久结果的最重要前提。当前最先进的方法是：(i) 使用基于水的胶束和微乳液（纯的或与凝胶结合）去除意外污染物和过去修复中使用的聚合物；(ii) 应用氢氧化钙纳米颗粒来加固艺术品。在本综述中，我们强调了保护科学如何能够受益于从软物质（用于清洁的微乳液和胶束）和硬物质（用于加固的纳米颗粒）纳米科学中获得的概念和方法背景。不同纳米技术的组合使得当今的文物保护工作者能够在每个修复步骤中提供尊重艺术家所用材料的理化特性的干预措施。纳米科学提供的“调色板”方法不断丰富该领域，新型纳米材料的开发和纳米尺度物理化学现象的研究将进一步提高修复配方的性能，并加深我们对降解机制的理解。
