A pigment from ancient Egypt to modern microscopy: New nanosheets for near infrared imaging

Egyptian blue is one of the oldest humanmade colour pigments. It adorns the crown of the world famous bust of Nefertiti: but the pigment can do even more. An international research team has produced a new nanomaterial based on the Egyptian blue pigment, which is ideally suited for applications in imaging using near infrared spectroscopy and microscopy.