Piero Baglioni and Rodorico Giorgi at the University of Florence, Italy, suggest that using nanoparticles is a simple and successful way to restore works of art.

Nanosized crystals of inorganic carbonates and hydroxides can be used to restore the calcium carbonate that binds paint pigments to the surface.  The chemical corrosion of this binding by rain, humidity or pollution causes Italian frescoes and Mayan wall paintings to flake.

Commercially available carbonates and hydroxides have dimensions of several micrometres, much larger than the pores on the paint surface.  This means they don't penetrate the painting well and there is also a risk of damaging the artwork by a glaze forming on the surface.

As more strategies to control the synthesis of nanoparticles are developed, Baglioni and Giorgi said that they can be used to apply enough restorative to the painting, recreating the binder and conserving the artwork.

Similar techniques have also been applied to the restoration of paper in cases where acidic inks have caused the cellulose fibres to break up.

Caroline A Moore