Supported projects

The goal of this project is to adapt the microscopy equipment of the PPSM laboratory to the specific needs of heritage samples. PPSM is specialized in the analysis of physicochemical processes triggered by light. Since 2020, its activities have been extended with the creation of the team “Ancient and Paleo Inspired Materials”, supported by the arrival of specialists in chemistry of Heritage objects (notably paints, archaeological textiles and natural heritage specimens). Fluorescence and visible absorption spectroscopy and microscopies are historical specialties of the PPSM, along with vibrational spectroscopy. Today’s laboratory setups are conceived to analyze microscopic or molecular samples, presenting shapes and distributions which are well controlled. This project aims at adapting this equipment to facilitate correlative approaches, combining fluorescence imaging (steady state and time resolved) and scanning Raman microscopy. The goal is to develop a flexible device that can be simply used, and which can adapt to the particularities of a large array of cultural and natural heritage samples (different length scales, resonances, opacity, etc.). In addition to providing chemical information crucial to understanding the physico-chemical structure of these objects, this open platform will enable to characterize the damage thresholds of samples and identify areas of chemical interest, and to relocalise them on several instruments, paving the way for complementary studies using optical and X-ray methods.