Polymer and solvent dynamics in hydrogels for cultural heritage applications

In the context of preserving paper artworks, the delicate process of wet cleaning presents a significant challenge, as it carries the risk of causing irreversible damage. To address this challenge, alternative cleaning methods have emerged, with hydrogels, specifically gellan gum-based formulations, showing great promise. Gellan gum, a high molecular weight linear polysaccharide, has demonstrated the potential for application in this context. Recent research, in collaboration with our group, has further expanded the possibilities by exploring the formation of gellan microparticles under specific conditions. This project seeks to investigate the microscopic dynamics of gellan polymer chains and associated water within hydrogel systems prepared at different concentrations and in the presence of various cations. By employing polarized Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering, we aim to distinguish the coherent and incoherent contributions of the solvent, providing insights into the relationship between microscopic polymer dynamics, associated water behavior, and macroscopic gel properties.