Assessment of the efficacy of agarose and agarose augmented with zinc oxide, carbon dots, and graphitic carbon nitride nanostructures in the restoration of historic tintype

Key Points

• The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of agarose and nanomaterial enhancements for restoring historic tintypes.
• Compared the efficacy of standard agarose with agarose augmented with zinc oxide, carbon dots, and graphitic carbon nitride.
• Utilized abrasive swab cleaning methods alongside nanomaterial-functionalized gels.
• Assessed tintype preservation before and after UV treatment.
• Nanomaterial-functionalized agarose gels significantly improved preservation compared to standard agarose.
• Visual assessments indicated better outcomes in tintype images treated with nanomaterial-enhanced gels.