Synthesis and Characterisation of Organo-Modified Silica Nanostructured Films for the Water-Repellent Treatment of Historic Stone Buildings

This study presents the facile sol-gel synthesis of nanostructured coatings for use in water-repellent treatment of travertine stone. The synthesized materials combine surface roughness characteristics with particular chemical compositions to give different hydrophobicity results. The influence of the silica particle coating precursor on the hydrophobicity of the polymeric film was investigated, and the octyl-modified silane was selected for...