On a molecular scale, there are surprising similarities between the outer shell of a golf ball and the white oil paint used by Van Gogh and his contemporaries. In both cases, the interactions between zinc ions and polymer chains are at the basis of important material properties. In a recent publication in the scientific journal Science Advances, Rijksmuseum and University of Amsterdam researchers describe the role of zinc ions in the molecular network of oil paint. Their studies could explain why paintings made with zinc white pigment are so sensitive to high humidity conditions.
