Identifying organic dye compounds in textiles is a significant challenge in conservation science. Existing methods, such as liquid chromatography, require lengthy sample preparation procedures or relatively large amounts of sample. Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry is a simple method for identifying a number of classes of dye compounds in single fibers. Blue and red fibers from historic tapestries from the Detroit Institute of Arts collections yielded clear spectra for indigotin and several anthraquinones including alizarin and purpurin, indicating the use of indigo and madder or Lady's bedstraw as sources of the colors. Yellows and greens have many possible botanical sources, and many of the colorant compounds are structural isomers. Flavones like luteolin and apigenin were readily observed in wool, silk, and cotton dyed with the most common natural yellow dyes. Ionization conditions that induce fragmentation may prove useful in differentiating some isomeric colorants.

Developing direct analysis in real time-time of flight mass spectrometric methods for identification of organic dyes in historic textiles

245th National Meeting (2013)

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