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(A) Chemical structure of nonoxidized cellulose showing the reactive glycosidic linkage and numbering of cyclic glucose units. (B−E) Oxidized cellulose leading to FTIR-evident structural changes: (B) ketones at C2 and C3, (C) aldehydes at C2 and C3, (D) aldehyde at C6, and (E) carboxylic acid at C6.
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Polymers are present in most organic materials in the field of cultural heritage science and art conservation. This makes the study of polymer chemistry necessary in art conservation graduate training programs. Given each program approaches this important topic in different ways, the present paper describes areas of common ground and problems we, a...
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... degradation and how it responds to artists'/ writers' materials and treatments is a suitable excuse to illustrate polymer chemistry, spectroscopy, and chromatography, as dem- onstrated by accelerated aging tests. Cellulose is a linear polymeric structure formed by units of cyclic glucose bonded by β-1,4-glycosidic linkages, with three hydroxyl groups in car- bons 2, 3, and 6 (Figure 1). Its aging leads to chemical changes that are evident using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which is covered in the second year of the science curriculum. ...
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Citations
... While science education strategies increasingly use artmaking, the efforts in making science more accessible for humanities disciplines remains low. Two examples include separation science (Alcantara-Garcia & Szelewski, 2016) and polymer chemistry (Alcantara-Garcia & Ploeger, 2018), both at the graduate level, when students have already demonstrated the required scientific fluency for admission to art conservation programs in the United States of America. ...
Corrosion is the visible result of redox reactions on multiple substrates, “rust” being the known, although this term only applies to iron and iron alloy objects. Using corrosion as a relatable example to teach redox eases this concepts’ understanding because its results are visually identifiable; both in everyday objects like door hinges, and in cultural heritage objects like cannons. This article concerns the latter class of objects, as they have the potential to engage people interested in fields that seem unrelated to chemistry. The reality is the opposite, as cultural heritage professionals assess objects used in humanities disciplines like archeology and history through the lens of science. This article discusses how conservators approach corrosion on cultural heritage objects and provides experiments for any base-knowledge and age-level students to learn about the process of corrosion and electrochemistry.
... The Chemistry education community has recognized that the examination of artwork is a valuable tool for teaching science to students at all stages of education (Uffelman, 2007). One of the aims of the general science and Chemistry curriculum is to make science and also Chemistry more relevant to pre-service teachers, including by relating art to Chemistry in interdisciplinary, individualized, and life-oriented approaches to learn the content of these subjects (Alcantara-Garcia & Ploeger, 2018;Matilainen et al., 2021). Gaquere-Parker & Parker (2012) suggested that pre-service teachers from all backgrounds benefit from working with real-life applications of Chemistry and by keeping the students engaged with cross-disciplinary examples (such as fine art products). ...
The chemistry and cultural heritage can be integrated in an interdisciplinary way into teaching the Chemistry, from primary to secondary school and university, including learning about the specifics of works of art in the context of their preservation or care. The main purpose of this study is to determine the pre-service Chemistry, Primary school, and Fine art teachers’ views about promoting an interest in the cultural heritage and Chemistry learning through materials of work of art from the chemistry perspective. The study revealed that pre-service teachers do not have sufficient knowledge and experience regarding cultural heritage from the point of view of chemistry (materials and techniques of fine art), and all groups show an interest in the mentioned contents. This integrated and interdisciplinary approach to teach Chemistry and cultural heritage is presented to the pre-service teachers as part of the general elective course that was developed on the basis of this preliminary research about pre-service teachers’ views regarding these topics.
... Much of the information presented in this article was sourced from department archives and interviews with past students and faculty. In addition, in 2015 the department hosted in-person interviews with the late Dr. Robert Feller (1919-2018 and the late Dr. Christopher Tahk (1939Tahk ( -2020 to discuss the evolution of conservation science, both inside and outside the conservation training programs. Importantly, it should be noted that there are similar trends between North American programs, each with their own unique traits and successes; however, this paper will focus on the achievements of the Buffalo State Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation program. ...
... Dr. Robert Feller (1919-2018 Robert Feller obtained both his BA and MS from Dartmouth College. After completing his PhD at Rutgers University in physical-organic chemistry, Feller began to research conservation-related problems, initially as the first senior fellow at the National Gallery of Art. ...
Art conservation science education is intertwined with the education of conservators. An apropos quote from Dr. Christopher Tahk, former scientist and director at the Cooperstown and later Buffalo State art conservation graduate training program, clearly describes this relationship and sums up the success of the science curriculum in the art conservation training programs “students are going out now, becoming conservators and understanding science, and so they can talk with scientists and there is a more of a rapport between the two.” Conservation science education has evolved to better achieve this aim, and this article highlights, discusses, and reflects on the challenges presented to conservation science educators, while examining possibilities and hopes for the future.
Infections caused by bacteria that produce β-lactamases (BLs) are a major problem in hospital settings. The phenotypic detection of these bacterial strains requires culturing samples prior to analysis. This procedure may take up to 72 h, and therefore it cannot be used to guide the administration of the first antibiotic regimen. Here, we propose a multisensor for identifying pathogens bearing different types of β-lactamases above the infectious dose threshold within 90 min that does not require culturing samples. Instead, bacterial cells are preconcentrated in the cellulose scaffold of a paper-based multisensor. Then, 12 assays are performed in parallel to identify whether the pathogens produce carbapenemases and/or cephalosporinases, including metallo-β-lactamases, extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), and AmpC enzymes. The multisensor generates an array of colored spots that can be quantified with image processing software and whose interpretation leads to the detection of the different enzymes depending on their specificity toward the hydrolysis of certain antibiotics, and/or their pattern of inhibition or cofactor activation. The test was validated for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections. The inexpensive paper platform along with the uncomplicated colorimetric readout makes the proposed prototypes promising for developing fully automated platforms for streamlined clinical diagnosis.
The present article details a quiz-style lesson for teaching three introductory chemistry concepts: the cleavage of rock salt as well as the oxidation and malleability of metals, through the history of chosen world cultural heritage sites, including the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the Statue of Liberty, and the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. The described lesson comprises three questions aimed at promoting critical thinking. The responses to the designed questions were made by the students working in groups. While revealing the correct answers, three simple demonstrations were conducted to entice the students and to enhance their understanding of the discussed chemical concepts. The lesson was favorably received by the students and helped them to relate relevant chemical concepts to real-world situations.
