Effect of solvent type on polycondensation of TEOS catalyzed by DBTL as used for stone consolidation

We have investigated the effect of solvent in the sol–gel process of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) when di-n-butyltin dilaurate (DBTL) is used as polycondensation catalyst. Two sets of materials similar to those employed in the field of stone consolidation were prepared in the laboratory by using either protic or aprotic solvents: (1) xerogels from TEOS/DBTL, and (2) composites from TEOS/colloidal silica particles/DBTL. The results have shown that the solvent directly influences the aggregation pathway of the condensates. For a mixture of methyl ethyl ketone/acetone (aprotic solvents), gels with a higher degree of condensation were obtained. In the case of TEOS xerogels, the materials are essentially non-porous. Additionally, the incorporation of colloidal silica particles induces an important increase in porosity, which is even more dramatic when ethanol is used as solvent, through the formation of micro and mesoporous materials as the concentration of particles is increased. A TEOS polymerization pathway is suggested depending on which system of solvents is used. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the materials obtained.