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Abstract
Sustainability in heritage science is an increasing research challenge with an holistic approach that goes beyond simply reducing environmental impact representing a balance among three interconnected dimensions:
- Respect for the artwork or artefact, through non-invasive diagnostic methodologies and minimal intervention techniques that preserve its integrity;
- Protection of the operator, by developing safe procedures, accessible tools, and non-toxic materials;
- Safeguarding of the environment, through the design and application of eco-compatible products and technologies.
Within this framework, this seminar is aimed at presenting examples of researches in the field of sustainability and cultural heritage which go from the development of advanced spectroscopic and imaging techniques to the design of green materials for the conservation of cultural heritage.
Recent research has focused on development of hyperspectral imaging approaches coupled to chemometric data analysis to gain significative information on cultural heritage objects without minimal damage such as for the non-destructive characterization of multilayered artefacts [1], as prescreening tool for mapping collagen distribution in prehistoric bones to define the sampling area for radiocarbon [2], to study and monitor the alteration phenomena in ancient materials [3], and to digitally restore color cinematic films using machine learning tools [4].
In the frame of material scince the development of sustainable materials for artwork cleaning and restoration, such as organogels, nanostructured electrospun tissues, and photothermal systems derived from renewable resources allow the selective removal of unwanted surface layers—such as aged varnishes, deposits, or corrosion products—while minimizing risks to both the object and
the environment [5–6]. These materials been successfully applied to easel paintings, mural fragments, and metal artefacts, responding to modern health and environmental safety challenges in conservation practice.
These activities are supported by several national and international projects, including PRIN 2020 “SUPERSTAR – Sustainable Preservation Strategies for Street Art”, the Horizon Europe initiative “GOGREEN – Green Strategies to Conserve the Past and Preserve the Future of Cultural Heritage”, and the PNRR project CHANGES.
References
1. Catelli E., Li Z., Sciutto G., Oliveri P., Prati S., Occhipinti M., Tocchio A., Alberti R., Frizzi T., Malegori C., Mazzeo R. Towards the non-destructive analysis of multilayered samples: A novel XRF-VNIR-SWIR hyperspectral imaging system combined with multiblock data processing (2023) Analytica Chimica Acta, 1239, art. no. 340710
2. Malegori C., Sciutto G., Oliveri P., Prati S., Gatti L., Catelli E., Benazzi S., Cercatillo S., Paleček D., Mazzeo R., Talamo S Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging to map collagen content in prehistoric bones for radiocarbon dating (2023) Communications Chemistry, 6 (1), art. no. 54
3. Li Z., Candeo A., Catelli E., Ghirardello M., Oliveri P., Manzoni C., Prati S., Comelli D., Sciutto G. Multimodal HSI Combined with Multiblock Data Fusion: A New Tool for the Study of Time-Dependent Alteration Processes in Dyed Textiles (2024) Analytical Chemistry, 96 (50), pp. 19939 - 19946
4. Liu L., Catelli E., Katsaggelos A., Sciutto G., Mazzeo R., Milanic M., Stergar J., Prati S.*, Walton M.*Digital restoration of colour cinematic films using imaging spectroscopy and machine learning (2022) Scientific Reports, 12 (1), art. no. 21982
5. Ramacciotti F., Sciutto G., Cazals L., Biagini D., Reale S., Degano I., Focarete M.L., Mazzeo R., Thoury M., Bertrand L., Gualandi C., Prati S., Microporous electrospun nonwovens combined with green solvents for the selective peel-off of thin coatings from painting surfaces (2024) Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 663, pp. 869 - 879
6. Menichetti A., Ramacciotti F., Sciutto G., Focarete M.L., Montalti M., Prati S*., Gualandi C.*, Nanofibrous Photothermal Materials from Natural Resources: A Green Approach for Artwork Restoration (2024) ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 16 (50), pp. 69829 - 69838