Post-column deprotonation and complexation in HPLC as a tool for identification and structure elucidation of compounds from natural dyes of historical importance

Spectral characterisation of a traditional Mesoamerican dye: relationship between in situ identification on the 16th century Codex Borbonicus manuscript and composition of Justicia spicigera plant extract

Characterisation of vegetal colourants in manuscripts is still a challenging task. Their identification using non-invasive techniques - since sampling is rarely possible - is valid only if there is evidence that the recorded signals are generated by compounds specific to the plant species. Otherwise, more extensive chemical characterisations are required to relate the non-invasive technique signals to the chemical composition of the dye extract and thus avoid misidentification. The case study of a traditional Mesoamerican dye found in the Codex Borbonicus is reported herein. The non-invasive identification of the colourant plant source and chemical characterisation of the coloured molecules were carried out through a multi-analytical technique approach. In situ Raman and UV-Vis emission fluorescence signals suggested the use of Justicia spicigera leaves to produce the brown paint layers of the manuscript. Analysis of the plant extract by liquid chromatography revealed that two compounds are mostly responsible for the colour, and these compounds were successfully isolated. Both contribute to the Raman spectra while only one of them is mainly responsible for the fluorescence recorded on Codex Borbonicus.

Properties and applications of flavonoid metal complexes

Flavonoid metal complexes have a wide spectrum of activities as well as potential and actual applications.

Historical and archaeological textiles: an insight on degradation products of wool and silk yarns

The characterisation of micro-samples from works of art and archaeological residues is a particularly complex task, due to the fact that only a relatively low amount of material is available for sampling, and compounds both derived from the target analytes and the matrix can be simultaneously present. Thus, sensitive, selective and reliable analytical procedures need to be developed. This paper presents the optimisation of an instrumental procedure based on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, which allows for determining selected analytes (anthraquinones, tannins, flavonoids), along with their known degradation products: phenolic acids. The instrumental parameters were optimised in terms of selecting the best ionisation source (APCI and ESI were compared), choosing the compound-dependant MS parameters and enhancing selectivity and sensitivity (SIM and MRM analyses were compared). The proposed procedure proved to be sensitive and selective, with limits of detection (0.4-20 ng/mL). The analytical procedure was validated by characterising reference materials, i.e. dyed and undyed woollen and silk yarns, both freshly prepared and artificially aged. Particularly, the study focused on the determination of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and on the correlation between its relative amounts with respect to ageing time. The optimised procedure was also applied to historical samples and proved fundamental in unravelling the complex composition of black dyed yarns collected from a medieval tapestry. The much degraded yarns were dyed with a tannin based dye, extracted from gallnuts, alder bark or sumac; the less degraded ones were coloured by superimposing colours with cochineal, madder, weld and indigo dye baths, and eventually by adding gallo-tannins as well.

Portable equipment for luminescence lifetime measurements on surfaces

The prototype of a portable instrument, based on the time-correlated single-photon counting method, purposely assembled for in situ measurements of luminescence lifetimes on artwork surfaces, is here presented. Preliminary tests have been carried out using the portable instrument and the results have been compared with those obtained using a bench instrument. In this way we have proven that the prototype provides lifetime measurements with good precision. It is also shown that fluorescence lifetime determinations, coupled with steady-state fluorescence spectra, allow the distinguishing, on laboratory samples, of different red organic lakes having similar fluorescence spectra, achieving new boundaries in the nondestructive diagnosis of artwork materials. The first in situ application of the technique on an original work of art, The Book of Kells, held at Trinity College Library, Dublin, highlighted the diagnostic potential of coupled steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy in the identification of organic colorants.