Restoration of a XVII Century’s predella reliquary: From Physico-Chemical Characterization to the Conservation Process
We report on the restoration of a XVII century’s predella reliquary, which is a part of a larger setup that includes a wall reliquary and a wooden crucified Christ, both belonging to the church of “Madre Maria SS. Assunta”, in Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, Italy. The historical/artistic and paleographic research was flanked successfully by the scientific objective characterization of the materials. The scientific approach was relevant in the definition of the steps for the restoration of the artefact. The optical microscopy was used for the identification of the wood species. Electron microscopy and elemental mapping by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) was successful in the identification of the l…
Facile Fabrication of Natural Polyelectrolyte-Nanoclay Composites: Halloysite Nanotubes, Nucleotides and DNA Study
Complexation of biopolymers with halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) can greatly affect their applicability as materials building blocks. Here we have performed a systematic investigation of fabrication of halloysite nanotubes complexes with nucleotides and genomic DNA. The binding of DNA and various nucleotide species (polyAU, UMP Na2, ADP Na3, dATP Na, AMP, uridine, ATP Mg) by halloysite nanotubes was tested using UV-spectroscopy. The study revealed that binding of different nucleotides to the nanoclay varied but was low both in the presence and absence of MgCl2, while MgCl2 facilitated significantly the binding of longer molecules such as DNA and polyAU. Modification of the nanotubes with DNA an…
Magnetic coiffure: Engineering of human hair surfaces with polyelectrolyte-stabilised magnetite nanoparticles
Here we report a spontaneous electrostatic coating of human hair with aqueous Fe3O4 colloids capable to tailor magnetic properties to hair, orienting and even moving them under the influence of the external magnetic field. Magnetite particles were modified by cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes and then successfully deposited in dense arrays, starting from cuticle gaps and spreading further over a major hair surface. These biocompatible and biodegradable magnetic nanoparticles may serve as carriers for drug loading and delivery for topical pharmaceutical treatments. The deposition process was imaged in real-time using dark-field microscopy. The hair specimens were further studied using a …