Variable-Temperature Micro-Raman Spectra of the Synthetic Artists' Pigments,Chrome YellowandMaya Blue: An Undergraduate Research Project

AbstractAs part of an undergraduate summer research project in vibrational spectroscopy, the micro-Raman spectra of synthetic samples of the famous artists' pigments, chrome yellow and Maya blue, were investigated at various temperatures to determine their long-term stability with respect to dramatic changes in temperature. Synthetic chrome yellow was examined from −150°C to 500°C. Synthetic Maya blue was studied from ambient temperature up to ∼200°C, when the Raman signals became swamped by the strong fluorescence from the sepiolite clay in which the indigo dye was encapsulated. Both pigments proved to be extremely stable with respect to significant changes in temperature, which presumably accounts in part for their long-term use in artwork.