Early Use of PbS Nanotechnology for an Ancient Hair Dyeing Formula

Philippe Walter,*† Eléonore Welcomme,† Philippe Hallégot,‡ Nestor J. Zaluzec,§ Christopher Deeb,† Jacques Castaing,† Patrick Veyssière, René Bréniaux,‡ Jean-Luc Lévêque,‡ and Georges Tsoucaris†
Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Muses de France CNRS UMR171,14 quai Franois Mitterrand, 75001 Paris, France, L'Oral Recherche, 93601Aulnay sous Bois Cedex, France, Electron Microscopy Center, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, and Laboratoire dtude des microstructures, CNRS UMR 104, ONERA, BP 72, 92322 Chatillon Cedex, France
Nano Lett., 2006, 6 (10), pp 2215–2219
DOI: 10.1021/nl061493u
Publication Date (Web): September 1, 2006
Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society
*

 Corresponding author. E-mail:  philippe.walter@culture.gouv.fr; tel: +33 1 40 20 59 89; fax:  +33 1 47 03 32 46.

,
†

 Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France CNRS.

,
‡

 L'Oréal Recherche.

,
§

 Electron Microscopy Center, Argonne National Laboratory.

,

 Laboratoire d’étude des microstructures, CNRS.

Abstract

Abstract Image

Lead-based chemistry was initiated in ancient Egypt for cosmetic preparation more than 4000 years ago. Here, we study a hair-dyeing recipe using lead salts described in text since Greco-Roman times. We report direct evidence about the shape and distribution of PbS nanocrystals that form within the hair during blackening. It is remarkable that the composition and supramolecular organization of keratins can control PbS nanocrystal growth inside a hair.

View: Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF

Tools

History

  • Published In Issue October 11, 2006
  • Received June 28, 2006
    Revised Manuscript Received August 4, 2006

Recommend & Share

Related Content

Other ACS content by these authors: