title: An amine-oxide surfactant-based microemulsion for the cleaning of works of art.
abstract: Surfactant-based aqueous fluids, such as micellar solutions and microemulsions, are effective, safe and selective media for cleaning operations in conservation of cultural heritage. The search for better-performing systems and eco-friendly cleaning systems is currently a major goal in conservation science. We report here on a ternary o/w microemulsion, composed of diethyl carbonate (DC) as the oil phase and N,N-Dimethyldodecan-1-amine oxide (DDAO) as the surfactant. DDAO is a well known and widely used detergent and solubilizing agent, selected here for its degradability and eco-compatibility. Due to its nonionic/cationic nature, it can be used also when nonionic-based formulations become ineffective because of clouding and phase separation. Moreover, DDAO is insensitive to the presence of divalent metal ions, usually abundant in wall paintings substrates. Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) provided detailed information about the nanostructure of the surfactant aggregates. Finally, the cleaning effectiveness of the nanofluid was assessed both on fresco mock-ups and on real wall paintings conserved in the archeological site of Tulum, Mexico. Here, conservators successfully used the microemulsion to remove naturally aged films of complex polymer mixtures from the works of art surface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baglioni
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Yareli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jàidar Benavides
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Rodorico
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, D-14109 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keiderling
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: baglioni@csgi.unifi.it.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baglioni
keywords: Alkyl carbonate; Cleaning; Cultural heritage; DDAO; Microemulsion; N,N-Dimethyldodecan-1-amine oxide; SANS; Tulum–Mexico