Nanomagnetic sponges for the cleaning of works of art.

This letter reports the synthesis and characterization of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles associated with chemical gels and their application to the conservation of cultural heritage. Magnetic nanoparticles, which are associated with acrylamide ethylene oxide polymers, produce a sponge that can be loaded with oil-in-water microemulsions, forming a magnetically responsive gel-like system and acting as a permanent hydrogel. The magnetic gel-like system can be used for specific applications in detergents or in the release of the loaded material. The system can be magnetically manipulated and cleaned from the loaded materials and then dried and reused for a different application. We report an important application of this new nanomagnetic responsive material in the field of cultural heritage conservation.