Reversible Deacidification and Preventive Conservation of Paper-Based Cultural Relics by Mineralized Bacterial Cellulose

Abstract

Paper-based cultural relics experience irreversible aging and deterioration during long-term preservation. The most common process of paper degradation is the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose. Nowadays, deacidification has been considered as a practical way to protect acidified literature; however, two important criteria of minimal intervention and reversibility should be considered. Inspired by the superior properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) and its structural similarity to paper, herein, the mineralized BC membranes are applied to deacidification and conservation of paper-based materials for the first time. Based on the enzyme-induced mineralization process, the homogeneous and high-loaded calcifications of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles onto the nanofibers of BC networks have been achieved, respectively. The size, morphology, structure of minerals, as well as the alkalinity and alkali reserve of BC membranes are well controlled by regulating enzyme concentration and mineralization time. Compared with HAP/CaCO3-immersed method, HAP/CaCO3–BC membranes show more efficient and sustained deacidification performance on paper. The weak alkalinity of mineralized BC membranes avoids the negative effect of alkali on paper, and the high alkali reserve implies a good sustained-release effect of alkali to neutralize the future generated acid. The multiscale nanochannels of the BC membrane provide ion exchange and acid/alkali neutralization channels between paper and the BC membrane, and the final pH of protected paper can be well stabilized in a certain range. Most importantly, this BC-deacidified method is reversible since the BC membrane can be removed without causing any damage to paper and the original structure and fiber morphology of paper are well preserved. In addition, the mineralized BC membrane provides excellent flame-retardant performance on paper thanks to its unique organic–inorganic composite structure. All of these advantages of the mineralized BC membrane indicate its potential use as an effective protection material for the reversible deacidification and preventive conservation of paper-based cultural relics.