TEOS/HDTMS inorganic–organic hybrid compound used for stone protection

Inorganic–organic hybrid crack-free xerogels were obtained by using a surfactant n-octylamine as a catalyst containing tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane as an additive. We studied the effect of gelling time and sol pH on n-octylamine concentration. The organic modification was confirmed by infrared spectroscopic studies, and the hydrophobicity of the coating was tested by the contact angle measurements. The stone surface morphology of sample treated with hybrid sol was characterized. The results show the hybrid gel network exhibits a larger pore size than the gel containing exclusively the silica from TEOS. After the limestone’s surface was modified by hybrid sol, the contact angle of limestone increased from 58° to 123°. The protective performance evaluated by its ability to resist acid rain reveals that the protective effects are satisfied.