New green solvents for cleaning and conservation of cultural heritage. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs)

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are a relatively new class of unconventional green solvents. They are obtained by mixing two or more components, a hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), which form a liquid at room temperature due to their lower melting point compared to the starting materials. DESs are characterized by their low toxicity, high environmental compatibility, non-flammability, and non-volatility. While DESs have found applications in various fields such as organometallic chemistry and pharmaceutical production, their potential use in restoration of cultural heritage has not been explored until now. This research project aims to synthesize DESs and investigate their effectiveness as green products for restoration practices. The results obtained from the first case studies highlight the promising use of DESs as green solvents and biocides, able to effectively removing the products of alteration and degradation of Cultural Heritage.