OVERVIEW

This course illustrates the basic principles of chemistry which are useful for the study of cultural heritage.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main target of the course is giving the students strong chemical foundations, stressing the general principles of basic subjects such as atomic and molecular structure, nomenclature, isomerism, physical and chemical properties, reactivity. On these foundations it will be based  a unitary, reasonably detailed and complete vision of the various features of the chemicals of greater specific interest, and of their use in preservation, consolidation and restoration of cultural heritage also through laboratory training  

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The attendance to the programmed educational activities (lectures and laboratory experiments) will allow the student to acquire basic knowledge on the atomic and molecular structure,on the different typologies of chemical bonds, on the principles of the physico-chemical behavior of solutions and on acid/base or redox processes.

More specifically, the student will acquire knowledge:

• on the nature of the atom, on the electronic configuration and on the significance of the periodic table of the elements  in foreseeing the behavior of the main elements which participate in the constitution of artistic materials.
• on the various typologies of chemical bonds and on their relevant impact on the stability and the behavior of inorganic and organic compounds;
• on the meaning and significance of resonance and electronic delocalization;
• on the basic principles of isomerism;
• by means of laboratory activities, of the preparation of some of the most common pigments.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching consists of classroom lectures and practical/theoretical laboratory activities. A regular attendance to lectures and laboratory activities is strongly recommended.

Classroom lectures are delivered making use of multimedial devices (such as powerpoint presentations). At the end of each section of the program, classroom tests are scheduled for the auto-assessment of learning.

Laboratory activities (carried out in properly equipped rooms of DCCI) are aimed at a practical application of the selected aspects of the theoretical knowledge acquired during classroom lectures.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The program consists of the presentation and discussion of the following arguments:

• atomic structure and electronic configuration of the main elements;
• hybridization;
• resonance;
• chemical bond and molecular structure;
• physico-chemical properties of solutions;
• main physico-chemical properties of minerals;
• redox processes and electrochemistry principles;
• main general and physico-chemical properties of organic compounds;
• isomerism (constitutional, configurational and conformational);
• classroom exercises or laboratory activities on some of the arguments in program (e.g. pigment preparation).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All slides used for the lectures, together with further educational aids, will be available on the AulaWeb platform at the end of any series of lectures or lab activities.

The books indicated below are suggested as reference books, available for consultation from the library of the School of “Scienze M.F.N.”

The students can anyway make use of further books at the university level.

Chang – Goldsby, Fondamenti di Chimica Generale, Ed. Italiana, McGraw-Hill Education (Italy).

Brown - Poon, Introduzione alla Chimica Organica, EdiSES.

Matteini - Moles, La Chimica nel Restauro – I materiali dell’arte pittorica, Nardini Ed.

Mills - White, The Organic Chemistry of Museum Objects, 2° Ed., Routledge, 1994.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GIOVANNI PETRILLO (President)

LAURA GAGGERO

FEDERICO LOCARDI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lessons will start from 2 October 2018.

Class schedule

CHEMISTRY FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE MODULE I

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is common to the two Modules and consists of an oral discussion on arguments treated during the lectures as part of the program.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on procedures for the preparation of exams and on the required in-depth degree of knowledge for each argument will be provided during the lectures.

The exam will be based mainly ofn the arguments treated in the lectures, aimed to the evaluation not only of the attainment, by the student, of an adequale knowledge level, but also of the possess of the ability to recall theory, applying them to real contexts. The student will be also asked to correlate and integrate knowledges from the laboratory activities whith those acquired during lectures. The ability to present arguments clearly, in a lessically correct and non mnemonic way will also be evaluated.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

A regular attendance to lectures and laboratory activities is strongly recommended.