Abstract
The yellowing of paper on aging causes major aesthetic damages of cultural heritage. It is due to cellulose oxidation, a complex process with many possible products still to be clarified. By comparing ultraviolet-visible reflectance spectra of ancient and artificially aged modern papers with ab initio time-dependent density functional theory calculations, we identify and estimate the abundance of oxidized functional groups acting as chromophores and responsible of paper yellowing. This knowledge can be used to set up strategies and selective chemical treatments preventing paper yellowing.
- Received 21 October 2011
- Corrected 12 April 2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.158301
© 2012 American Physical Society
Corrections
12 April 2012
Erratum
Publisher’s Note: Role of Cellulose Oxidation in the Yellowing of Ancient Paper [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 158301 (2012)]
A. Mosca Conte, O. Pulci, A. Knapik, J. Bagniuk, R. Del Sole, J. Lojewska, and M. Missori
Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 169902 (2012)
Synopsis
Only on Paper
Published 9 April 2012
A study of ancient and modern papers reveals how cellulose reacts with light to discolor documents and art over time.
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