What was discovered?

Piero Baglioni and scientists at of the University of Florence showed that emulsions using tiny fat-soluble molecules suspended in water could be used to remove the organic polymer coatings that were slowly damaging paintings as they aged.

How?

The tiny molecules included sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), pentanol, ethyl acetate and propylene carbonate.  They have hydrophobic regions (that hate water!) so they stick together very tightly when they are surrounded by water molecules, forming tiny balls called 'micelles'.

When the emulsion of micelles in water is painted onto the surface, the old organic polymer layer absorbs the micelles and so expands, lifting it from the surface of the painting so that it can be easily removed.

Why is it important?

Preserving the Mesoamerican wall paintings in Mexico using this technique is just the first of many art conservation projects using nanotechnology to preserve cultural heritage for future generations to enjoy!

Understanding more about micelles is also important, since they can form bilayers and may have given rise to the earliest cell membranes.