Maya blue color

Among many technological marvels from that era is a pigment known as Maya Blue. This startling, turquoise-like color was used extensively by the Maya for many purposes (Fig. 6.3). The Maya used the pigment for paint that was applied to sculpture, wall murals and pottery, among other objects. They also used the pigment to color the bodies of sacrificial victims before they were thrown into sacred wells or had their hearts cut out at temple altars. 

The pigment is a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds bonded by hydrogen that, in addition to its spectacular color, has an exceptional durability. The color still remains on a variety of Maya artifacts and architecture. It is resistant to natural acids, alkalis, solvents, heat, and vegetation. Maya blue is resistant to color loss after centuries in the tropical rainforest of the Maya heartland. 

Voile N, Challier L, Burr A, Giulieri F, Pagnotta S, Chaze A-M (2011) Maya Blue as natural coloring fillers in a multi-scale polymer-clay nanocomposite. Compos Sci Technol 71 1685-1691... 

Apart from these few examples, most nanostruc-tured materials are synthetic. Empirical methods for the manufacture of stained glasses have been known for centuries. It is now well established that these methods make use of the diffusion-controlled growth of metal nanoparticles. The geometrical constraints on the electron motion and the electromagnetic field distribution in noble-metal nanoparticles lead to the existence of a particular collective oscillation mode, called the plasmon oscillation, which is responsible for the coloration of the material. It has been noticed recently that the beautiful tone of Maya blue, a paint often used in Mesoamer-ica, involves simultaneously metal nanoparticles and a superlattice organization [3.1]. 

In addition to these natural examples, synthetic nanocomposites have been in use since early civilization. The concept of enhancing the properties of materials by introducing nanofiHers can be traced back to as early as 100 BC. The bright color and corrosion resistance of the Maya blue paint has been attributed to its nature as an organoday nanocomposite. 

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