In the analysis of heritage materials, sampling represents the most critical aspect of the analytical process. From the viewpoint of material conservation, only non-destructive material characterisation is allowable. The research stretching over several years, lead to globally innovative non-destructive methods of historical material characterisation and dating, published in the leading journal Analytical Chemistry. Using the method of partial least squares (PLS), we were able to compare FT-(N)IR spectroscopic data with results of classical paper analysis of more than 170 samples.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28858629
Recently, it was found that chemiluminescence can be used in cellulose degradation research. The studies showed that besides temperature, chemiluminescence of celllulose critically depends also on humidity. In order to study the related phenomena at all, we had to develop a new instrument, using which this parameter could be controlled. The data obtained with dynamic experiments have shown that superoxide anion could be the possible precursor of a chemiluminescent species.
COBISS.SI-ID: 26572549
The central problem of quantitative structure-property (QSPR) or structure-activity (QSPR) studies remains the identification of critical structural factors relevant for the variation of different properties. A modification of the variable connectivity index was introduced, which takes into account not only the positive but also possible negative contributions of atoms or bonds in structure-property-activity relationships. The so-modified variable connectivity index of order zero was used for modeling flame ionization detector (FID) response factors.
COBISS.SI-ID: 26572037
Iron gall inks have been used from the medieval time in the Western culture and it is well known that iron and other metals, contained in the inks, have a corrosive effect on paper, which leads to rapid degradation of iron gall ink containing documents. We researched the causes of degradation and with a statistical analysis of data we were able to show that ink corrosivity is most influenced by the amount of applied ink, pH of the ink and paper grammature. On the basis of the data, manily obtained using non-destructive methods, we were able to predict the stability of historical documents.
COBISS.SI-ID: 19492391
Pesticides and their degradation products present severe health hazard and their reliable determination in environmental samples and food are in focus of analytical science. In the publication (ranked among 50 most cited papers of J. Chromatogr. A), GC-MS method for the determination of pesticides in fruits and vegetables is described and additionally improved with the introduction of programmable temperature vaporizer. With application of this module simultaneous identification and quantitative determination of 124 pesticides is possible with low limit of quantification (0.01 mg/kg).
COBISS.SI-ID: 29445381