On March 13, Rafaella Georgiou, participated as a speaker at the first “European meeting on InfraRed Nanospectro-Imaging 2024” held in France at the Université Paris-Saclay. Entitled “Deciphering the chemistry and nanostructure of artists’ paints with mixed protein-oil binders”, the presentation showcased how AFM-IR elucidate the spatial distribution of proteins and lipids at the nanoscale to contribute to the ambitious objective of understanding the materiality and the technology of a technical revolution in art history: the transition from egg to oil in Renaissance Italy. It also underscored how imaging techniques able to map the organic constituents (i.e. proteins, oils) with a nanoscale spatial resolution are pivotal to tackle the micro-organisation of the organic phases within paint media. The event gathered and reinforced the European IR nanospectroscopy community by promoting scientific exchange, informal discussion, and networking opportunities. The conference was open to academics, industrial scientists and researchers, and meant to bring together exerts as well as non-experts in IR nano spectroscopy, covering topics on polymer and material Science, life and plant science/biomedical, instrumentation and innovation, environmental-heritage science, thin films/coatings and chemical surface modification, chemometrics and data evaluation.
