Identification of plant cells in black pigments of prehistoric Spanish Levantine rock art by means of a multi-analytical approach. A new method for social identity materialization using chaîne opératoire

We present a new multi-analytical approach to the characterization of black pigments in Spanish Levantine rock art. This new protocol seeks to identify the raw materials that were used, as well as reconstruct the different technical gestures and decision-making processes involved in the obtaining of these black pigments. For the first of these goals, the pictorial mat- ter of the black figurative motifs documented at the Les Dogues rock art shelter (Ares del Maestre, Castello ́ n, Spain) was characterized through the combination of physicochemical and archeobotanical analyses. During the first stage of our research protocol, in situ and non- destructive analyses were carried out by means of…

Mesoporous iron phosphate/phosphonate hybrid materials

Abstract Relatively high surface area pure mesoporous iron-phosphorus oxide-based derivatives have been synthesized through an S + I − surfactant-assisted cooperative mechanism by means of a one-pot preparative procedure from aqueous solution and starting from iron atrane complexes and phosphoric and phosphonic acids. A soft chemical extraction procedure allows opening the pore system of the parent as-prepared materials by exchanging the surfactant without mesostructure collapse. The nature of the pore wall can be modulated from iron phosphate up to hybrids involving approximately 30% of organophosphorus entities (phosphonates or diphosphonates). X-ray powder diffraction, transmission elect…

Application of field portable EDXRF spectrometry to analysis of pigments of Levantine rock art

The results of the analyses of elemental composition of red and black pigments of Levantine rock art from La Saltadora rock shelters (Valltorta gorge, Castellon, Spain) are presented in this paper. Nondestructive analyses were carried out using a portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer developed for in situ analysis. The results revealed the strong presence of calcium in all the analyzed locations due to the contribution of the underlying calcareous bedrock and the overlying crust. Iron is the main element detected in red pigments and manganese in black pigments. Iron and calcium ratios have been found indicative of the degree of preservation of the pictorial laye…

Understanding the role of Ti-rich domains in the stabilization of gold nanoparticles on mesoporous silica-based catalysts

3 Tablae, 14 Figures.-- Supplementary material.-- © 2018. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Multianalytical characterization of pigments from funerary artefacts belongs to the Chupicuaro Culture (Western Mexico): Oldest Maya blue and cinnabar identified in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

Abstract The colours used in Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica to decorate walls, codices or artefacts have been the subject of numerous studies, with particular attention to Maya blue, red and white pigments. However, most of these studies have been focused on emblematic cultures of the Classic period (ca. 300–1000 CE), such as Teotihuacan and Maya cultures. This work proposes a new chronology of the preparation and use of these pigments, particularly Maya blue, by analysing samples of the Pre-Classic period (ca. 1800 BCE–300 CE). The samples belong to ceremonial artefacts decorated with blue, red and white pigments, in a funerary context from the Chupicuaro culture, which was developed between 600…

Float glass colouring by ion exchange

Abstract Back in the Middle Ages, glass artists used to produce yellowish colorations in soda-lime glasses using mixtures that contained silver salts, clay composites and natural oils. The resulting colour was a characteristic pale yellow known as silver-stain. This coloration is mainly caused by the extinction – absorption and, to a lesser extent, scattering – of light occasioned by silver nanoparticles formed inside the glass. This colouring technique comprises a heat treatment divided in two stages: in the first one, an ion exchange between the silver ions in the mixture and the alkali ions in the glass takes place. This process is called nucleation of silver nanoparticles. The second st…

Characterization and sources of Paleolithic–Mesolithic ochre from Coves de Santa Maira (Valencian Region, Spain)

High-Temperature Stable Gold Nanoparticle Catalysts for Application under Severe Conditions: The Role of TiO2 Nanodomains in Structure and Activity

Metal nanoparticles with precisely controlled size are highly attractive for heterogeneous catalysis. However, their poor thermal stability remains a major concern in their application at realistic operating conditions. This paper demonstrates the possibility of synthesizing gold nanoparticles with exceptional thermal stability. This has been achieved by using a simple conventional deposition–precipitation technique. The material employed as catalyst consists of gold supported on a TiO2-impregnated SiO2 bimodal mesoporous support. The resulting material shows gold nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution around 3.0 nm, homogeneously dispersed over the TiO2/SiO2 material. Most interesti…

Low-Cost Synthesis of Bimodal Mesoporous Silica-Based Materials by Pseudomorphic Transformation.

Nanoparticulate bimodal porous silica-based materials have been prepared through a surfactant-assisted procedure by using a simple template and starting from inexpensive sodium silicate as silicon source. Different procedural variables, such as pH or the nature and concentration of the surfactant, have been explored to optimize the preparative protocol, which allows, in turn, improved understanding of the formation process. The final bulk materials (called UVM-10 or M-UVM-10) are formed by pseudomorphic transformation of fresh silica-based xerogels under mild basic conditions. The UVM-10 architecture is constructed from small mesoporous nanoparticles, the aggregation of which generates a di…