Simultaneous identification of historical pigments Prussian blue and indigo in paintings by electrospray mass spectrometry

Abstract

A new analytical protocol for identification of Prussian blue (PB) and indigo was proposed. Pigments useful for dating of artworks were detected by flow injection analysis/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry after alkalization of their suspensions in water, decomposition of PB to iron (III) hydroxide and hexacyanoferrate (II) and reduction of indigo to soluble leucoindigo using sodium dithionite. Limits of detection (PB 47 pg, indigo 59 pg) complied with requirements for analysis of microsamples of historical paintings. Potential of the developed method was proven in analysis of blue samples of two oil paintings from the 20(th) century. Further, PB was confirmed in a microsample from a painting of 'Crucifixion', St. Sebestian church on St. Hill in Mikulov, Czech Republic.

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