title: Revealing the Origin and History of Lead-White Pigments by Their Photoluminescence Properties.
abstract: The lead white pigment, composed of two main mineral phases cerussite PbCO3and hydrocerussite 2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2, has been used in paintings since the Antiquity. The study of historical sources revealed that a large variety of lead white qualities were proposed, depending on the degree of sophistication of the pigment synthesis. Investigation of photoluminescence of the two constitutive mineral phases gave insight into the origin of the visible emission of these materials and emphasized the influence of structural defects on their photoluminescence properties. These effects were observed by combining emission and excitation spectra in two-dimensional representations. For each excitation wavelength, between 250 and 400 nm (4.9-3.1 eV), luminescence spectra were collected between 400 and 800 nm (3.1-1.5 eV). Two types of emission-excitation bands were identified: an emission excited in the optical bandgap of the compounds (about 5 eV), which depends on the constitutive phase (2.8 eV in cerussite and 2.1 eV in hydrocerussite), and broad emission bands in the same energy range excited below the optical gap, which are sensitive to the synthesis method and the nature of postsynthesis treatments. It is proposed that this sensitivity of photoluminescence properties of lead-white pigments could be used as fingerprints of their origin and history.
authors.affiliation: Chimie-ParisTech, PSL Research University , CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie-Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France.|Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) , Palais du Louvre, F-75001 Paris, France.|Sorbonne University, UPMC Université Paris 6 , F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Chimie-ParisTech, PSL Research University , CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie-Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France.|Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) , Palais du Louvre, F-75001 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9996-9297
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gourier
authors.affiliation: Chimie-ParisTech, PSL Research University , CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie-Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France.|Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) , Palais du Louvre, F-75001 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Calligaro
authors.affiliation: Chimie-ParisTech, PSL Research University , CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie-Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France.|Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) , Palais du Louvre, F-75001 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toussaint
authors.affiliation: Chimie-ParisTech, PSL Research University , CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie-Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France.|Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) , Palais du Louvre, F-75001 Paris, France.|Sorbonne University, UPMC Université Paris 6 , F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wallez
authors.affiliation: Chimie-ParisTech, PSL Research University , CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie-Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France.|Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) , Palais du Louvre, F-75001 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menu