NIR Luminescence and Composition of Egyptian Blue as Markers in Archaeometric Evaluations

Preparation, properties and applications of near-infrared fluorescent silicate nanosheets

“…the well-known Bust of Queen Nefertiti). [49][50][51][52][53] HB and HP, on the other side, were mostly employed in the times of the Qin and Han dynasties (≈220 BC-220 AD), as witnessed by e.g. the Terracotta Warriors of the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi in Xi'an.…”

“…Indeed, thanks to a broad excitation range, a strong NIR fluorescence and a long excited state lifetime, the signals of HB, HP and, above all, of the highly chemically stable EB can be easily discriminated in art- works from other pigments. [50][51][52][53]95,[112][113][114] However, exciting speculations about the employment of bulk EB, HB and HP in diverse technological fields have been made, including telecommunications, lasers, sensing/labelling for bioimaging, component of cool roofing and facades, luminescent solar concentrators and more. 50,55,58,59,66,69,91,95,97 With regards to the down-sized EB, HB and HP, several applications for photonics have been theorized and demonstrated (Tables 1-3).…”

Investigation of Egyptian Blue on a Fragmentary Egyptian Head Using ER-FTIR Spectroscopy and VIL Imaging

“…This technique allows mapping of Egyptian blue, even when it is not readily visible on the object due to surface patinas or coatings, or because most of the pigment has worn away. Some studies have also recorded differences in VIL correlated with differences in production technologies [21,33]. More recent developments in VIL imaging include the use of Raman microscopy to map VIL at a micron scale [34], and the combination of VIL imaging with photogrammetry, to create 3D models of Egyptian blue distribution on sculptures [35].…”

Novel Near-Infrared-Emitting (Nano)Materials for Bioimaging

“…✓ Liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) presents promising features in terms of scalability and processability of the so-prepared NS. [174][175][176][177][178][179] . Their original purpose was to be employed as pigments for artworks, given the scarce availability of blue and purple minerals in nature 180 .…”

“…As described in Section 4.3, some light had already been shed on how factors such as synthesis routes and material processing can affect lifetime in the bulk silicates of EB, HB and HP, however no study had so far focused on the lifetime properties in the nanoscale. Also, although FLIM had previously been carried out on the bulk silicates for non-invasive investigations of artifacts [175][176][177][178]206,[237][238][239] , this was not the case for the NS counterparts.…”