In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood

Waterlogged archaeological wood is often in need of consolidation prior to drying to prevent shrinkage and cracking of the object. There is a need for new greener materials (than for example polyethylene glycol) and methods for consolidation to be developed. The use of wood-based components could pr...

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Main Authors: McHale, Emily, Steindal, Calin C., Kutzke, Hartmut, Benneche, Tore, Harding, Stephen E.
Format: Article
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43669/
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author McHale, Emily
Steindal, Calin C.
Kutzke, Hartmut
Benneche, Tore
Harding, Stephen E.
author_facet McHale, Emily
Steindal, Calin C.
Kutzke, Hartmut
Benneche, Tore
Harding, Stephen E.
author_sort McHale, Emily
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Waterlogged archaeological wood is often in need of consolidation prior to drying to prevent shrinkage and cracking of the object. There is a need for new greener materials (than for example polyethylene glycol) and methods for consolidation to be developed. The use of wood-based components could provide good interaction between the consolidant and the remaining wood structure and would also support a shift away from fossil fuel-based materials to those with more sustainable sources. Based on this, lignin-like structures have been investigated for their ability to consolidate waterlogged archaeological wood. The in situ formation of a lignin-like material has been carried out using isoeugenol polymerised by horse radish peroxidase in aqueous solution. The formation of the oligomeric/polymeric materials within the wood following this reaction has been determined by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infra Red (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The oligomers remaining in solution have been characterised by ATR-FTIR and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as well as analytical ultracentrifugation, showing that they have a weight average Mw of 0.4–0.9 kDa and a lignin-like structure rich in the β-5′ moiety. Therefore, this approach is proposed as a basis to further develop a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood.
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spelling nottingham-436692020-05-04T18:43:24Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43669/ In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood McHale, Emily Steindal, Calin C. Kutzke, Hartmut Benneche, Tore Harding, Stephen E. Waterlogged archaeological wood is often in need of consolidation prior to drying to prevent shrinkage and cracking of the object. There is a need for new greener materials (than for example polyethylene glycol) and methods for consolidation to be developed. The use of wood-based components could provide good interaction between the consolidant and the remaining wood structure and would also support a shift away from fossil fuel-based materials to those with more sustainable sources. Based on this, lignin-like structures have been investigated for their ability to consolidate waterlogged archaeological wood. The in situ formation of a lignin-like material has been carried out using isoeugenol polymerised by horse radish peroxidase in aqueous solution. The formation of the oligomeric/polymeric materials within the wood following this reaction has been determined by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infra Red (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The oligomers remaining in solution have been characterised by ATR-FTIR and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as well as analytical ultracentrifugation, showing that they have a weight average Mw of 0.4–0.9 kDa and a lignin-like structure rich in the β-5′ moiety. Therefore, this approach is proposed as a basis to further develop a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood. Nature Publishing Group 2017-04-27 Article PeerReviewed McHale, Emily, Steindal, Calin C., Kutzke, Hartmut, Benneche, Tore and Harding, Stephen E. (2017) In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood. Scientific Reports, 7 . 46481/1-46481/9. ISSN 2045-2322 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46481 doi:10.1038/srep46481 doi:10.1038/srep46481
spellingShingle McHale, Emily
Steindal, Calin C.
Kutzke, Hartmut
Benneche, Tore
Harding, Stephen E.
In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
title In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
title_full In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
title_fullStr In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
title_full_unstemmed In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
title_short In situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
title_sort in situ polymerisation of isoeugenol as a green consolidation method for waterlogged archaeological wood
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43669/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43669/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43669/