Application of a polymer-based photocatalytic coating for the protection of Carrara marble: an exposure study

Thanks to their strong potentiality and multiple applications in different research fields, nanotechnologies play a key-role in technical-scientific progress. The introduction of nanomaterials in the field of Cultural Heritage represents a new frontier that could lead to the solution of several problems related to the conservation of the monuments. In fact, many products currently used in conservation, such as composite based polymeric materials, were studied and tested in various research areas and then readapted to the need of the Cultural Heritage sector. Therefore, applying them to Cultural Heritage requires extensive analytical research aimed at assessing their potentialities and possible risks. The aim of the present research was to test a protective treatment such as a nanostructured product containing an acrylic polymer.