“Twin Chain” PVA Cryogels with Controlled Tortuosity as Advanced Materials for Cleaning of Works of Art

Soft matrices with tuned properties are part of the vast landscape of innovative materials for the restoration of works of art. “Twin chain” polymer networks (TC-PNs) based on polyvinyl alcohol have proven unique as scaffolds for Cultural Heritage cleaning. They enable optimum adaptability, adhesion, porosity, and connectivity at both micro- and nano-scale resulting in superior time/space-controlled cleaning operations. In this work, TC-PNs properties are tuned through a mild crosslinking of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-porogen polymer by using sebacic, adipic, or succinic acid. The modified porogens have different structural features imparting a different phase behavior to TC-PVAs mixtures in aqueous solution, i.e., in pre-gel systems used to form gels through a liquid–liquid phase separation. The macro-, micro-, and nanoscale features of the final gels are characterized by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, Small Angle X-ray Scattering, Rheology and are related to their cleaning performances. The study shows that the gels cleaning capacity is related to their tortuosity, that can be tailored at the nanoscale. Counterintuitively gels with higher tortuosity show better performances as evidenced by the cleaning of mockups and paintings from Jean Helion, Jackson Pollock, and Tancredi Parmeggiani at Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.