This line of research focuses on the development and application of analytical methods for the identification and characterisation of the materials that make up Cultural Heritage (paintings, sculpture, graphic documents and archaeological pieces) and the materials used for their restoration. Study, from a chemical point of view, of the degradation of these materials and the effects and consequences of restoration treatments.

Several actions are being carried out, such as:

- Development of new protocols for the sampling of Cultural Assets, minimising the action on the real work, for the study of artificial ageing in accordance with the corresponding ISO standard and to evaluate the effects that natural or artificial ageing and conservation-restoration treatments can produce on documentary objects.

- Identification and separation of chromophore materials, binders, adhesives and different cellulosic fibres, simultaneous identification of dyes and binders with a single sample and a single sample treatment.
Evaluation of physico-chemical changes of dyes and inks due to ageing caused by light, temperature and humidity and restoration treatments such as deacidification, bleaching, consolidation and subsequent ageing treatment. Identification of the degradation products of these dyes.

- Characterisation and study of the behaviour (against light, temperature and humidity) of varnishes applied to graphic works. Development of a protocol as a tool for researchers and professionals.

- Evaluation of conservation and restoration treatments such as mechanical lamination, dry cleaning of surfaces and bleaching by means of light radiation, all of them applied to graphic documents.

- Study of the durability of printing inks in contemporary graphic works. Adaptation of printing techniques for facsimile reproduction.

- Characterisation of pigments using non-invasive analytical techniques in works of art.

- Development of a computer programme to work with data provided by analytical techniques such as X-Ray Fluorescence or X-Ray Diffraction for the characterisation and mapping of the constituent materials of a work of art.

The analytical methods developed and the studies carried out are applied to the study of materials and conservation-restoration processes of different collections of documents from both private and official collections (Collection of drawings and plans from the Archive of the Royal Chancery of Granada, Collection of Arabic manuscripts from the Archive of the Badía del Sacromonte in Granada, the Provincial Historical Archive of Malaga, the Provincial Historical Archive of Granada and the School of Arabic Studies in Granada, Collection of parchments from the Archive of the Royal Chancery of Granada and the School of Arabic Studies in Granada, Collection of parchments from the Archive of the Royal Chancery of Granada and Collection of educational maps from the former Teaching School of the University Archive of Granada), books (The Notarial Register of Torres belonging to the Archive of the Royal Chancery of Granada, Manuscript XVI of the Scromonte-Commentary to the Book of Sentences, Sharh, Al-Yumal by Ibn Al-Faijar, Al-Bayri-) and works of art such as Karaguiosis, a Greek shadow puppet made of cardboard and translucent paper by Eugenios Sparazis, paintings from private collections: "The Little Madonna of Foligno", "Maternity" and "The Transfiguration", among others.

The following analytical techniques are used for the research carried out and future research: UV-Vis Spectrophotometry, Spectrofluorimetry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Capillary Electrophoresis, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, X-Ray Diffraction Spectrometry and Raman Spectroscopy. In addition to imaging techniques such as Visible Photography, UV Photography, IR Photography, IR Reflectography, NIR Reflectance and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and the study of multispectral and hyperspectral images.

Part of the projects belonging to this line of research are developed in collaboration with the research group "Science and Culture of Heritage" HUM-1057.