Non-Aqueous Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Organogel Sponges for Controlled Solvent Release: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application in the Cleaning of Artworks
Year: 2023
Authors: Porpora F., Dei L., Duncan TT., Olivadese F., London S., Berrie BH., Weiss RG., Carretti E.
Autors Affiliation: Univ Florence, Dept Chem Ugo Schiff & CSGI Consortium, Via Lastruccia 3-13, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Sci Anal Fine Art LLC, Berwyn, PA 19312 USA; Georgetown Univ, Inst Soft Matter Synth & Metrol, Dept Chem, 37th & O St NW, Washington, DC 20057 USA; Natl Gallery Art, Dept Sci Res, 2000 South Club Dr, Landover, MD 20785 USA; Natl Inst Opt CNR INO, Natl Res Council, Largo E Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy.
Abstract: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) organogel sponges were prepared and studied in order to understand the role of pore size in an elastomeric network on the ability to uptake and release organic solvents. PDMS organogel sponges have been produced according to sugar leaching techniques by adding two sugar templates of different forms and grain sizes (a sugar cube template and a powdered sugar template), in order to obtain materials differing in porosity, pore size distribution, and solvent absorption and liquid retention capability. These materials were compared to PDMS organogel slabs that do not contain pores. The sponges were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and compared with PDMS slabs that do not contain pores. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided information about their morphology. X-ray micro-tomography (XMT) allowed us to ascertain how the form of the sugar templating agent influences the porosity of the systems: when templated with sugar cubes, the porosity was 77% and the mean size of the pores was ca. 300 mu m; when templated with powdered sugar, the porosity decreased to ca. 10% and the mean pore size was reduced to ca. 75 mu m. These materials, porous organic polymers (POPs), can absorb many solvents in different proportions as a function of their polarity. Absorption capacity, as measured by swelling with eight solvents covering a wide range of polarities, was investigated. Rheology data established that solvent absorption did not have an appreciable impact on the gel-like properties of the sponges, suggesting their potential for applications in cultural heritage conservation. Application tests were conducted on the surfaces of two different lab mock-ups that simulate real painted works of art. They demonstrated further that PDMS sponges are a potential innovative support for controlled and selective cleaning of works of art surfaces.
Journal/Review: GELS
Volume: 9 (12) Pages from: 985-1 to: 985-19
More Information: Emma Dini is acknowledged for her help in the preparation of the PDMS based systems.KeyWords: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) organogel sponges; template effects; viscoelastic properties; solvent swelling/de-swelling; cleaning works of artDOI: 10.3390/gels9120985ImpactFactor: 5.000Citations: 3data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-11-24References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click hereConnecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here
