Electron Paramagnetic Resonance as a Probe for Metal Ions and Radicals in Paper

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) is a technique devoted to the identification and characterization of paramagnetic species, i.e. chemical species with unpaired electrons. Very common paramagnetic species which can be detected through EPR in historic paper are Fe(III), Mn(II), Cu(II) ions and radicals, where Fe(III), Cu(II) and radicals play a relevant role in paper degradation. Specifically, Fe(III) is almost ubiquitous in historic paper. Here we propose an overview of the EPR signals in historic and artificially aged paper, and in particular, we would like to show how a deep analysis of EPR signals from paper could provide useful information about the paper's origin and unique indications of the degradation and oxidation level of the paper.