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Sławomir Boncel is head of the NanoCarbon group at the Faculty of Chemistry and the Centre for Organic and Nanohybrid Electronics (CONE) of the Silesian University of Technology at Gliwice (Poland).
Abstract
Change is inevitable and often irreversible—this is how we perceive the passage of time. For the study of cultural heritage objects, changes occurring from the molecular to the macroscopic level are central to debates and research on their study and conservation. By combining historical sources, visual observations, and advanced analytical techniques, new approaches emerge for understanding these objects. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and the integration of epistemological methods, the study of material transformations has redefined heritage materials—not only as sources of historical information but also as catalysts for new scientific thinking.
Barbara H. Berrie, formerly head of scientific research and senior conservation scientist at the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, is a chemist with a passion for art and history. With many co-authors, she has published across the gamut of conservation science endeavors. She has worked on the use of soft matter for treating sensitive surfaces, technical investigations of paintings, and has a special interest in pigments used in the sixteenth century.
The transfer of extraordinary properties of sp2-nanocarbons (NCs) from nano- to macro-scale is challenging due to the non-trivial control over their morphology and surface physicochemistry (1). The fundamental properties of NCs as a function of dimensionality from 0D to 3D remain incompletely understood, often with contradictory reports about their affinities and reactivities, hindering potential applications (2). At the same time, physicochemical modifications of 0D quantum dots (CQDs), 1D carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and 2D graphene/graphenoids enabling their individualization, frequently requiring development of functional 3D networks based on non-compromised morphology, are essential for their enhanced interfacial, electrical, thermal, mechanical, catalytic, and biological characteristics (Figure).
The proposed transformations, encompassing tunable covalent and non-covalent functionalizations, yielded NCs of superior properties. Specifically, concerning the ‘properties-by-design’ approach, we have designed and synthesized and/or manufactured: textronics for Holter electrocardiography (3), conductive (4) and superhydrophobic (5) coatings, high-performance heat transfer fluids (6), phase change materials (7), magnetic drug delivery systems (8), superlubricants (9), only-carbon 1D and 2D emulsifiers (10), and hybrid catalytic systems (11).
References
(1) Z. Amjad et al., Nanoscale 2024, 16, 9197; (2) M. Małecka et al., Adv. Coll. Interface Sci. 2024, 334, 103311; (3) S. Boncel, et al., ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2022, 5, 15762; (4) A.W. Kuziel et al., ACS Sus. Chem. Eng. 2022, 10, 6596; (5) E. Korczeniewski et al., Chem. Eng. J. 2024, 482, 148777; (6) M. Dzida, et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2022, 14, 50836; (7) A.W. Kuziel, et al., J. Energy Storage 2021, 36, 102396; (8) S. Boncel et al., ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2016, 2, 1273; (9) Ł. Wojciechowski et al., Tribol. Int. 2024, 191, 109203; (10) A. Kuziel, et al., Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 2000608; (11) M. Markiton et al., ACS Sus. Chem. Eng. 2017, 5, 1685.
Acknowledgements
EU Horizon 2020 ERA-Chair project ExCEED, No. 952008 and National Science Centre (Poland) in the framework of 2019/33/B/ST5/01412, 2020/39/B/ST5/02562, 2021/41/B/ST5/00892, and 2021/43/B/ST5/00421 OPUS-17, -20, -21, and -22 programs, respectively, are greatly acknowledged.