Molecular Spectroscopy in Art and Archaeology

Dear Colleagues,

Spectroscopic investigations are essential for materials-based studies of archaeological and art objects. Vibrational and electronic spectroscopy and mass spectrometry have long been recognized as powerful tools for the molecular characterization of organic and inorganic materials. Technological advancements have rendered the non-invasive applicability of these techniques indispensable for the modern investigator. Materials science, archaeometry, and conservation science, among others, are benefited by these advancements, providing valuable information to art historians, art object evaluators and authenticators, archaeologists, historians, and scholars and investigators studying cultural heritage.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles, technical papers, and review articles) that provide insights into the characterization of materials in art and archaeology, with emphasis on the added value offered by the combination of these techniques and their transformation from laboratory benchtop systems to transportable/portable systems for field applications.

This issue welcomes papers focusing on molecular techniques such as infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible absorption and fluorescent spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry, especially in combination with chromatography (GC, LC) and direct temperature separation (i.e., DTMS). Although this issue is focused on the experimental applications of these techniques, theoretical studies on the molecular systems involved in the context outlined above are also welcome.

This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts with the following themes:

• FTIR spectroscopy and microscopy in transmission, reflection, and ATR modes;
• Raman spectroscopy and microscopy and Raman–SERS;
• UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, micro-spectroscopy, and imaging;
• UV–visible molecular fluorescence spectroscopy, micro-spectroscopy, and imaging;
• Mass spectrometry and hyphenated techniques such as GC-MS, LC-MS, and DTMS;
• NMR and NMR-MOUSE;
• Advanced statistical analysis combining the results of the above techniques.

Prof. Dr. Stamatis C. Boyatzis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• cultural heritage
• vibrational spectroscopy
• UV-visible absorption
• molecular fluorescence
• mass spectrometry
• nuclear magnetic resonance