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Researcher
Andrea Marchetti
- Research Expertise:The aim of my research career has always been to advance the understanding of history, composition and reactivity of cultural heritage materials through the application of advanced analytical techniques. To reach this goal, I developed an expertise in method development and optimization for the analysis of cultural heritage objects. This includes experimental design, optimization of sample preparation and application of a diverse set of methods for material analysis, including both in-situ and laboratory analysis (also at synchrotron facilities). I have direct experience with the development and application of multi-analytical methodologies to study different types of historical materials, including metal alloys, glass, paintings, artists’ pigments, lacquer coatings, textiles and leather. This diverse experience gives me the necessary background knowledge and practical expertise to design and implement multianalytical approaches, finetuned to answer the most diverse research questions. I am currently applying my expertise to the study of complex composite objects (combination of multiple materials), in particular historical carriages and sledges, with a focus on the reactivity and interaction between materials.
- Keywords:ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, SPECTROSCOPY, MATERIALS CHARACTERISATION, HERITAGE SCIENCE, CONSERVATION-RESTORATION, HIPPOMOBILE HERITAGE, Chemistry (incl. biochemistry)
- Disciplines:Macromolecular and materials chemistry, Organic chemistry, Physical chemistry, Other chemical sciences, Other natural sciences, Materials conservation, Historical materials and production methods, Material science for conservation-restoration, Analytical chemistry
- Research techniques:Throughout my career, I gained direct hands-on experience with a large number of analytical methods. My main expertise are molecular spectroscopy methods (such as benchtop (ATR-)FTIR, pATR-FTIR, μFTIR, SR-μFTIR, O-PTIR and μRaman), XRF-based techniques (such as pXRF, MA-XRF and SR-μXRF) and microscopy (optical microscopy and SEM-EDX). I also have a certain experience with electrochemical and photo-electrochemical methods (mostly to study pigments reactivity and in particular photo-reactivity), with ICP-MS (including microwave digestion strategies for sample preparation) and LA-ICP-MS, and with air quality monitoring (airborne particle counters, diffusive/passive gas samplers). I have also limited experience with other synchrotron-based methods, such as SR-μXRPD and SR-μXAS, and with μCT. Currently, in my role in the ARCHES group, I have access to pATR-FTIR, pXRF, OM, SEM-EDX and MA-XRF instruments. Moreover, through internal collaborations at the University of Antwerp, access to μRaman, MA-XRPD and MA-rFTIR is also possible. I also regularly apply for beamtime (access to synchrotron facilities) to get access to IR beamlines (μFTIR, SR-μFTIR and O-PTIR instruments), as well as to x-ray beamlines with small (micro- or nanometric) beam-size (SR-μXRF, SR-μXRPD and SR-μXAS). In addition to material analysis, I also developed an expertise in sample preparation strategies. This includes the optimization of embedding and microtome cutting strategies to prepare thin sections (0.5 - 20µm) of samples for SR analysis.
- Users of research expertise:Conservators, art-historians, private collectors or researchers interested in conducting material-technical research on historical objects could benefit from my expertise. In particular, if interested in answering question regarding the chemical composition and/or degradation of the objects. People interested in the study and conservation of hippomobile heritage could also benefit from my current research on historical carriages and sledges.