Contributions to the Characterization of Chromogenic Dyes in Color Slides

Chromogenic reversal films (or color slides) are first-generation positive transparencies. These were used for various purposes, namely as an artistic medium, especially from the 1960s onwards. However, these materials intrinsically vulnerable to chemical degradation and have poor long-term stability. Although over time significant improvements been achieved in stability of chromogenic products, dyes highly susceptible oxidation hydrolysis, both induced by light and/or relative humidity temperature, leading fading shift original balance images. During present investigation, a gap knowledge regarding general, specifically, was detected. Today, there is still no methodology identify specific work and, therefore, study their mechanism degradation. From this premise focused on case studies Portuguese artist Ângelo de Sousa (1938–2011), research carried out seeking characterization dyes. Based isolation different composing material, several procedures tested describe found films, such Raman spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), infrared high-performance liquid with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) coupled mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). Promising results approach, opening new paths understanding materials.