Abstract
The study was concerned with the synthesis and characterization of a silsesquioxane-based hybrid nanocomposite with self-assembling properties intended for monumental porous limestone conservation. Radical polymerization of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate in the presence of a primary amine surfactant yielded a new type of hybrid nanocomposite, in which silica was dispersed as domains with typical sizes in the nanometer range. The self-assembling properties of the synthesized composite have been ascribed to the supramolecular assembling abilities of the surfactant, as well as to the combination of linear, ladder, and cage-like fragments of silsesquioxane type. This new sol—gel approach, in which the surfactant makes the pore size of the network more coarse and uniform, avoids cracking while drying inside the stone and thus provides an effective alternative for porous limestone conservation.
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