Micro-Raman and luminescence spectroscopy were combined with morphological analysis to study the conservation state of differently degraded paper samples, dated from 1873 to 2021. The aim of the work reported in this paper was to obtain ageing markers based on variations of Raman and fluorescence spectral features. Raman and luminescence spectra were acquired by scanning non-printed areas of books, and Raman and fluorescence maps were built by contrasting spectral parameters point by point, obtaining a micron-scale space resolved imaging of the degradation pattern. Complementary information on paper morphology and surface compactness were obtained by high-resolution scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. The proposed non-destructive procedure is particularly interesting for precious and ancient samples to analyze their degradation processes and to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of restoration treatments.

Since its discovery, laser-induced graphene (LIG) has attracted much interest because this technique, having all the advantages of a laser processing technology, is more convenient and cost-effective than other graphene production methods. This work offers a detailed analysis of LIG structures produced by UV and CO₂ laser irradiation from polyimide performed with surface scanning Raman spectroscopy combined with microscopy techniques. Although UV LIG has a less ordered structure than that obtained by CO₂ laser irradiation, our study indicates that UV LIG can be patterned with a resolution higher than that obtained with CO₂ laser irradiation and a much smaller penetration depth into the substrate.

Although Fe(Se,Te) film shows limited superconducting properties compared to REBCO in terms of critical temperature and critical current density, it represents a potential low-cost alternative to REBCO-based coated conductor applications at low temperature and high field condition. In fact, due to the low deposition temperature and absence of oxygen, materials constraints are less strict and Fe(Se,Te) coated conductor can be realized using a very simplified architecture. A further process simplification is the use of cube-textured substrate combined with a single buffer layer by chemical solution deposition (CSD), which may provide a cheap, vacuum-free route for oriented template fabrication. Zr-doped CeO ₂ /Ni-W templates were realized by CSD and successfully tested with epitaxial Fe(Se,Te) film growth by pulsed laser deposition showing good superconducting properties. Further, a detailed analysis before and after buffer layer deposition using optical, atomic, and scanning electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction and Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was carried out to relate Zr-doped CeO ₂ film quality to Ni-W microstructure, morphology, and composition. Results show that 30-nm-thick Zr-doped CeO ₂ film is effective to prevent Ni diffusion. Further, buffer-layer quality is mainly dependent on the characteristics of individual Ni-W grains.

In recent years, there has been an open debate on proper sun exposure to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer. The mainly encountered issue is that general guidelines for UV radiation exposure could not be effective for all skin types. The implementation of customized guidelines requires a method by which to measure the UV dose as a result of daily exposure to sunlight, ideally with an inexpensive, easy-to-read sensor. In this work, we present the characterization of nanocomposite hydrogel materials acting as colorimetric sensors upon exposure to UV light. The sensor was prepared using a poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogel matrix in which TiO₂ nanoparticles and methylene blue (MB) were integrated. Raman mapping was used to determine the network structure of the hydrogel and its water distribution. The TiO₂ nanoparticles dispersed in the PAA matrix maintain their photoactivity and catalyze a reaction by which methylene blue is converted into leuko-methylene. The conversion causes a discoloration effect that is visible to the naked eye and can therefore be used as an indicator of UV radiation exposure. Moreover, it was possible to tune the discoloration rate to the limit exposure of each skin type, simply by changing the ratio of titanium dioxide to dye. We obtained a response time ranging from 30 min to 1.5 h. Future work will be dedicated to the possibility of scaling up this range and to improve the sensor wearability; however, our study paves the way to the realisation of sensors suitable for public use, which could help us find a solution to the challenge of balancing sufficient UV exposure to prevent Vitamin D deficiency with excessive UV exposure that could ultimately cause skin cancer.