Multifunctional supramolecular polymer networks as next-generation consolidants for archaeological wood conservation.
The preservation of our cultural heritage is of great importance to future generations. Despite this, significant problems have arisen with the conservation of waterlogged wooden artifacts. Three major issues facing conservators are structural instability on drying, biological degradation, and chemical degradation on account of Fe(3+)-catalyzed production of sulfuric and oxalic acid in the waterlogged timbers. Currently, no conservation treatment exists that effectively addresses all three issues simultaneously. A new conservation treatment is reported here based on a supramolecular polymer network constructed from natural polymers with dynamic cross-linking formed by a combination of both host-guest complexation and a strong siderophore pendant from a polymer backbone. Consequently, the proposed consolidant has the ability to chelate and trap iron while enhancing structural stability. The incorporation of antibacterial moieties through a dynamic covalent linkage into the network provides the material with improved biological resistance. Exploiting an environmentally compatible natural material with completely reversible chemistries is a safer, greener alternative to current strategies and may extend the lifetime of many culturally relevant waterlogged artifacts around the world.
Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom;
Zarah
Z
Walsh
Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom;
Emma-Rose
ER
Janeček
Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom;
James T
JT
Hodgkinson
US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI 53276; Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; Synchrotron Radiation Center, Stoughton, WI 53589;
Julia
J
Sedlmair
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum, D-85747 Garching, Germany;
Alexandros
A
Koutsioubas
Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom;
David R
DR
Spring
Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom;
Martin
M
Welch
Synchrotron Radiation Center, Stoughton, WI 53589; Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211;
Carol J
CJ
Hirschmugl
Department of Physics, University of Patras, Patras 26500, Greece; and.
Chris
C
Toprakcioglu
Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom;
Jonathan R
JR
Nitschke
The Mary Rose Trust, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LX, United Kingdom.
Mark
M
Jones
Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom; oas23@cam.ac.uk.
Oren A
OA
Scherman
Mary Rose; conservation; supramolecular polymer; waterlogged archaeological wood