Nanostructured cellulosic materials for historical paper preservation

This thesis investigates the use of nanostructured cellulose composites for the preservation of aged and historical paper documents containing iron gall inks. These nanostructured cellulosic materials have great potential for paper document consolidation due to their versatility in mechanical and optical properties, low toxicity, and high compatibility with cellulosic substrates. This work used nanostructured cellulose obtained by top-down synthesis from cotton linters to formulate hybrid composites that allow localized restoration interventions with precise dosages while simultaneously counteracting multiple degradation processes. In particular, it has been shown that the combination of alkaline nanoparticles and cellulosic consolidating materials has a positive synergistic effect on the substrate's mechanical properties and on the inhibition of corrosion processes caused by iron gall inks. The effectiveness of hybrid composite formulations in counteracting degradation processes was studied by spectroscopic and colorimetric analyses on mockups treated with these materials and subjected to accelerated aging.