Innovative Hydrogel Preserves 800-Year-Old Shipwrecks

**Shipwrecks** like the RMS Titanic and SS Endurance provide valuable insights into history, but preserving their wooden artifacts is challenging as they are often waterlogged, promoting the growth of acid-producing bacteria and wood-eating fungi. Traditional methods like freeze-drying and polymer replacement are lengthy and can damage artifacts by making them brittle or warped. Recent advancements have led to the development of a new hydrogel by researchers at ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, designed to better preserve these artifacts. This hydrogel incorporates acid-neutralizing potassium bicarbonate and antimicrobial silver nitrate to fight both acids and microbes. By varying the silver nitrate content, the researchers created gels that ranged from quick-dissolving to longer-lasting. When applied to 800-year-old wood from the Nanhai One shipwreck, the hydrogels demonstrated the ability to neutralize acid and preserve cellular structure effectively. The quicker-dissolving gels enhanced structural integrity without surface damage. Backed by funding from Chinese research foundations, this innovative preservation method could revolutionize the way we protect and study ancient marine artifacts.**