poster - IPNAS

ToF-SIMS imaging on ancient biological tissue
S. Cersoy1 , P. Richardin1 , A. Brunelle2 , O. Laprévotte2,3 and P. Walter1
1
Laboratoire du Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (LC2RMF), CNRS UMR 171, Paris
2
Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (ICSN), CNRS – UPR 2301, Gif-sur-Yvette
3
Laboratoire de Toxicologie, IFR 71, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université
Paris Descartes, Paris
E-mail : [email protected]
For several years, the laboratory has been developing a significant area of research on applying chemical imaging techniques in the field of Cultural Heritage. Several complementary methods proved to be powerful for structural and spatial analysis of complex and hybrid materials
from works of Art : Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS)1 and Synchrotron Radiation techniques as Fourier Transform Infrared micro-spectroscopy (SR-µFTIR),
micro-diffraction or micro-fluorescence X. We, thus, improved our knowledge on the structure
of complex micro sampled materials as ritual matters on African wooden statuettes2 , ancient
human tissue3 , antique cosmetics4 , and some components of paintings (binder, varnish...)5 .
Recently, we studied a paint cross-section from a Rembrandt painting using high resolution
cluster-ToF-SIMS imaging6 and could identified details with a resolution of 400 nm. In the same
way, we aim at improving the technique to map precisely the chemical composition of mummies’
skin. We especially try to identify and localize the various biomolecules and to understand the
long-term degradation mechanisms. This in particular makes it necessary to study the interactions between components in their particular microscopic environment.
Two different samples were analysed : the one had been taken on a naturally mummified
body found in the Taklamakan desert in China whereas the second one came from a SouthAmerican embalmed mummy. Their different origin makes it possible to compare the state of
conservation of skin with or without preparations of the body in different environments (various
conditions of temperature and humidity).
Next we hope to obtain information about the composition of possible tattoos and to be able
to make toxicological analysis on other particular mummies’ skin in order to know more about
former medical and/or religious practices.
References
[1] Mazel V., Richardin P. (2009) CH15. ToF-SIMS study of organic materials in Cultural Heritage : identification and chemical imaging. In : Organic Mass Spectrometry in Art and Archaeology, Ed : Maria Perla Colombini, Francesca Modugno, Wiley, p 433-457.
[2] Mazel V., Richardin P., Debois D., Touboul D., Cotte M., Brunelle A., Walter P., Laprévote
O. (2007), Analytical Chemistry, 79, 24, 9253-9260.
[3] Cotte, M., Walter, P., Tsoucaris, G., and Dumas, P. (2005), Vibrational Spectroscopy, 38,
159-167.
[4] Cotte M., Checroun E., Susini J., Dumas P., Tchoreloff P., Besnard M. and Walter Ph.
(2006), Talanta, 70, 5, 1136-1142.
[5] Cotte M., Welcomme E., Solé V. A., Salomé M., Menu M., Walter Ph. and Susini J. (2007),
Analytical Chemistry, 79, 18, 6988 -6994.
[6] Sanyova, J., Cersoy, S., Richardin, P., Brunelle, A., Laprévote, O., and Walter, P. in prep.