Nanoscale investigation of the degradation mechanism of a historical chrome yellow paint by quantitative electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping of chromium species

Haiyan Tan; He Tian; Jo Verbeeck; Letizia Monico; Koen Janssens; Gustaaf Van Tendeloo

doi:10.1002/anie.201305753

Nanoscale investigation of the degradation mechanism of a historical chrome yellow paint by quantitative electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping of chromium species

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2013 Oct 18;52(43):11360-3. doi: 10.1002/anie.201305753. Epub 2013 Sep 13.

Authors

Haiyan Tan¹, He Tian, Jo Verbeeck, Letizia Monico, Koen Janssens, Gustaaf Van Tendeloo

Affiliation

¹ EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp (Belgium); CEMES-CNRS, nMat group, University of Toulouse, BP 94347, 31055 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France).

PMID: 24039036
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201305753

Abstract

Getting the picture: The investigation of 100 year old chrome yellow paint by transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy has led to the identification of four types of core-shell particles. This nanoscale investigation has allowed a mechanism to be proposed for the darkening of some bright yellow colors in Van Gogh's paintings (e.g. in Falling leaves (Les Alyscamps), 1888).

Keywords: X-ray absorption spectroscopy; analytical methods; chrome yellow; electron microscopy; reaction mechanisms.