NANORESTART will develop a range of materials based on nanotechnologies to support the long term protection and continued access to modern and contemporary cultural heritage. The project will also take into account the environmental and human risks of such materials as well as application feasibility and materials costs.
The new tools and materials developed will focus on:
(i) tools for controlled cleaning, such as highly-retentive gels for the confinement of enzymes and nanostructured fluids based on green surfactants;
(ii) the strengthening and protection of surfaces by using nanocontainers, nanoparticles and supramolecular systems and assemblies;
(iii) nanostructured substrates and sensors for enhanced molecular detection, and;
(iv) the evaluation of the environmental impact of the developed materials and the development of measures for long lasting conservation of cultural heritage.
NANORESTART gathers centres of excellence in the field of synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials. Partners are drawn from chemical Industries and SMEs operating in R&D, as well as International centres for collection care and education. Tate are directly participating in the research associated with the development and evaluation of novel cleaning systems. These materials incorporate enhanced or new properties specifically designed to address the challenges associated with cleaning modern and contemporary art. The research will involve the formulation and testing of nanostructured cleaning fluids which pose a reduced risk of residue deposits by the use of self-degrading surfactants or even surfactant-free systems. The cleaning materials will be evaluated using a range of prepared test samples and through research related to case studies of works of art from Tate’s collection.
The NANORESART project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 646063.
Project Partners
NANORESTART is 3.5 year collaborative research project (2015–2018) funded under the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (grant agreement number 646063)