HeriCare · 2D Materials/Polyoxometalate Hybrids for Heritage Conservation
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-10-16 → 2021-10-15
- EU contribution
- €160,932
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
2D Materials/Polyoxometalate Hybrids for Heritage Conservation
Cultural heritage is the envelope of our lives and societies, acting as an invisible thread that links people, history and identity. Becoming more aware of its value, and in order to share and promote the understanding of our roots and appreciate our diversity, public administrations and private institutions have devoted increasing attention to the importance of preserving our shared cultural heritage. Unfortunately, due to their deteriorating condition, only a few prominent examples of tangible cultural heritage have lasted through to the present day. The main factors involved in the deterioration of heritage objects include environmental (exposure to light, humidity, acidic gases), microbial (bacterial or fungal) and human action (from intentional or accidental damage to intervention). Hence, the preservation of the past and future heritage is of key importance for European institutions and society as a whole, not only due to social and cultural importance, but also because of the economic implications arising from tourism, research and art. The HeriCare project comprises the development of effective nanomaterials as transparent, highly-active protective coatings for cultural heritage objects to prevent the bio- and environmental degradation of soft organic materials such as photographic films or paper. The main goal of this project was to develop transparent coatings based on nanomaterials which possess high antimicrobial activity. HeriCare project was developed by Dr. Andrés Seral-Ascaso, with the PI Prof. Jesús Martínez de la Fuente at Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), a joint research center of CSIC & University of Zaragoza.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Protecting cultural heritage objects from biodeterioration and biodegradation is a major challenge faced by European society due to the implications in identity, economy and history. The aim of the HeriCare project is to create & expand a library of transparent hybrid materials composed of polyoxometalates & two-dimensional (2D) materials to be used in heritage conservation. This is the first time that such hybrids will be explored for this type of application and this project is expected to generate a broad impact on the fields of materials science and conservation. Moreover, selected hybrids will be incorporated to modern paper to provide ultra-resistant properties against biological contaminants for future heritage. The implementation of this multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral project is expected to boost the personal career of the candidate by completing his knowledge about chemistry synthesis and acquiring a whole new set of research skills related to microbiology, biochemistry and cultural heritage. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary network will be created via long research visits to the conservation department of the library of the Spanish Royal Botanic Gardens and a short visit to a Restoration School (Huesca, Spain), which are expected to provide a concise insight into conservation work and the state-of-the-art of cultural heritage preservation techniques and products. In return, the candidate will transfer his expertise on 2D materials to the hosting and the research visit groups, which is expected to open new research lines and future collaborations in the field of novel antimicrobial materials. Finally, the project management and additional activities such as courses, coaching and dissemination will provide key skills for financial management, communication, research development and mentoring, which will prepare the candidate for his career as a fully independent researcher and team leader.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union