The physicochemical characterization of the materials constituting works of art and objects in collections is a rapidly expanding field of investigation in conservation sciences. This characterization results in a better understanding of past chemical evolution and better anticipation of future risks for the conservation of cultural property. The study of cultural heritage materials, particularly because of their great diversity and their interaction with their environment, constitutes a real scientific challenge where the interdisciplinarity of the fields and the multiplicity of questions asked form a fertile field where methodologies and Analytical techniques can be optimized and inventively applied to resolve questions posed in conservation.
The objective of scientific activity through the “Separative methods applied to cultural goods” pole therefore consists of the development and fine-tuning of experiments which will make it possible to answer the questions posed by the conservation of cultural goods while introducing new analytical strategies around mass spectrometry methods which find their application in the laboratory's areas of research.
This scientific activity can be summarized around three main thematic axes:

1- Chemical analysis of the constituents of heritage materials: elucidation of the composition of ancient Asian papers and their inks by pyrolysis-GC/MS and pyrolysis-GCxGC/MS.

2- Instrumental developments applied to heritage materials.

3- Characterization of chemical markers resulting from the degradation of heritage materials: studies of volatile organic compounds potential markers of degradation.