Search Results (800)

Polymeric gel fluid-loss reducers for water-based drilling fluids often undergo performance deterioration under combined high-temperature and high-salinity conditions. In this study, an organic–inorganic nanocomposite gel fluid-loss reducer, SiO₂@P-DAS, was synthesized through aqueous free-radical polymerization using N,N-dimethylacrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, sodium styrene sulfonate, and KH-570-modified nano-SiO₂. The corresponding polymer gel without nano-SiO₂, P-DAS, was used as the control. FTIR results were consistent with the presence of modified nano-SiO₂ in the composite gel. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that its initial decomposition temperature increased from 245 °C for P-DAS to 252 °C for SiO₂@P-DAS. At a concentration of 3.0 wt%, the post-aging API filtrate volume of SiO₂@P-DAS was 3.8 mL, compared with 4.8 mL for P-DAS after aging at 220 °C for 16 h. Under HTHP conditions of 220 °C and 3.5 MPa, the corresponding filtrate volumes were 33.33 and 49.67 mL, respectively. SiO₂@P-DAS also maintained lower fluid loss under NaCl and CaCl₂ contamination. At 5 wt% CaCl₂, its post-aging API filtrate volume was 6.8 mL, 58.0% lower than that of P-DAS. In weighted drilling fluids with densities of 1.4–2.0 g/cm³, the post-aging API and HTHP filtrate volumes remained within 2.4–3.2 and 24.6–26.2 mL, respectively. Zeta-potential, particle-size, and filter-cake observations suggest that polymer adsorption and hydration, together with the contribution of modified nano-SiO₂ to particle packing and filter-cake continuity, improve filtration control. These results demonstrate the potential of SiO₂@P-DAS as a nanocomposite gel fluid-loss reducer for high-temperature and salt-contaminated water-based drilling fluids. Full article

Coastal saline soils are vulnerable to degradation under repeated wetting–drying (W–D) exposure, while conventional inorganic stabilizers are associated with high energy consumption and environmental burdens. To address this issue, an environmentally friendly ternary stabilization system consisting of local sandy silt, low-dose cement, and xanthan gum (XG) at different dosages was developed, with emphasis on the particle-scale coating effect of hydrated XG. Accelerated laboratory W–D cycling (0–20 cycles), direct shear tests, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, binary-image crack analysis, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to evaluate the effects of W–D cycling and XG dosage (0%–2.0%) on mechanical properties, interfacial bonding, surface deterioration, and microstructural evolution. An optimum XG dosage of 1.5% was identified. Before W–D cycling, the UCS of the 1.5% XG group reached 1005.4 kPa, 94.9% higher than that of the 0% XG control. After 20 W–D cycles, the 1.5% XG group exhibited a mass loss rate of 3.7%, a crack ratio below 4.3%, and a compressive strength retention of 83.8%, whereas the 0% XG control showed more pronounced mass loss and strength degradation. The XG coating limited water and salt migration and provided flexible interparticle bridging that mitigated shrinkage-induced stress concentration. FE-SEM observations further indicated that XG and cement hydration products formed a relatively continuous organic–inorganic interfacial network, which helped preserve particle contacts and restrain microcrack propagation during cyclic exposure. These results demonstrate the potential of particle-scale XG coating for improving the W–D durability of modified saline soil. Full article

To investigate the corrosion resistance and service life of water-based epoxy-coated reinforcing bars under severe environmental conditions, HRB400 ribbed reinforcing bars were used as the substrate. Four types of water-based epoxy-coated reinforcing bars were prepared, containing 0.3% graphene–polyaniline (PAG), 0.3% iron oxide, 10% zinc phosphate, and 10% zinc–iron powder, respectively, with a bare reinforcing bar control group also included. In accordance with standards such as the ‘Design Standard for Durability of Concrete Structures’, durability tests were conducted under various conditions, including long-term immersion in marine chloride solutions, wet–dry cycling, de-icing salt freeze–thaw cycles, baking and immersion in saline soil, and concrete mixed with seawater. Corrosion current density (I_corr) was monitored using a three-electrode system and the linear polarisation method, and service life was predicted based on the Wiener process. The results indicate that, under all severe environmental conditions, the corrosion current density of the coated reinforcing bars was significantly lower than that of the bare reinforcing bars (BRBs). After 70 cycles of marine wet–dry cycling, the corrosion current density of the bare reinforcing bars reached 0.4569 μA·cm⁻², whilst that of the 0.3% PAG coating was 0.1103 μA·cm⁻², substantially lower than that of the bare bars (0.4569 μA·cm⁻²); after 110 freeze–thaw cycles in a de-icing salt environment, the corrosion current density of the bare reinforcing bars was 0.4480 μA·cm⁻², whilst that of the PAG-coated bars was 0.1003 μA·cm⁻². After 80 cycles of baking and immersion in a saline soil environment, the corrosion current density of the graphene–polyaniline-coated steel increased from 4.97 × 10⁻³ μA·cm⁻² to 0.1021 μA·cm⁻² (approximately a 20-fold increase), whilst that of the bare steel rose to 0.4489 μA·cm⁻². In concrete mixed with seawater, the corrosion current density of bare reinforcing bars reached as high as 8.60 μA·cm⁻² after 120 days, whereas that of coated reinforcing bars was 0.24 μA·cm⁻², markedly lower than 8.60 μA·cm⁻² for the bare bars. Lifespan predictions indicate that, provided that the specifications for concrete strength and protective layer thickness are met, water-based epoxy coatings have the potential to delay the onset of severe corrosion (I_corr ≥ 1 μA·cm⁻²) beyond the 50-year design threshold in seawater wet–dry cycling zones and saline soil environments, and are projected to meet the 100-year design requirements in de-icing salt environments. It should be noted that these projections are based on accelerated tests and require validation through long-term field performance data. Graphene-containing polyaniline nanocomposite coatings exhibited the best overall protective performance, whilst zinc phosphate coatings demonstrated outstanding stability in high-chloride environments. For the specific formulations tested in this study, the enhanced corrosion resistance is attributed to the synergistic combination of the epoxy matrix, inorganic fillers (TiO₂ and BaSO₄) and functional additives; these components collectively provide physical shielding, chemical passivation and dynamic pore-blocking effects. Within the scope of this study, the nanocomposite coating containing 0.3 per cent PAG exhibited the best overall protective performance. Full article

Sodium metal anodes (SMAs) are regarded as the most promising anode materials for next-generation high-energy-density sodium metal batteries, owing to their ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity (1166 mAh g⁻¹) and low electrochemical potential (−2.71 V vs. SHEs). However, their practical application is severely hindered by a series of interrelated challenges, including unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films, severe volume fluctuations arising from their hostless nature, uncontrollable dendrite growth, and the consequent low Coulombic efficiency and short cycle life. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in stabilizing SMAs through three major categories of strategies: current collector engineering, which involves the design of planar, three-dimensional, and gradient architectures to regulate the local current density and Na⁺ flux, thereby guiding uniform nucleation and enabling “bottom-up” dendrite-free deposition; electrolyte engineering, which focuses on optimizing solvents, salts, and functional additives to tailor the solvation structure, construct robust inorganic-rich SEI layers, and utilize electrostatic shielding effects to suppress dendrite formation; and artificial SEI engineering, which aims to pre-construct inorganic or inorganic–organic hybrid protective layers that establish a physicochemical barrier between the electrode and electrolyte, combining high ionic conductivity, superior mechanical strength, and sufficient flexibility. Finally, we provide a critical perspective on the remaining challenges and outline future research directions, emphasizing the importance of in situ/operando characterization, synergistic multi-strategy integration, breakthroughs in high areal capacity and high-rate performance, and artificial intelligence-driven material discovery for the practical implementation of SMAs. Full article

Building facades and construction materials are continuously exposed to airborne particulate matter, organic pollutants, and microbial colonization, which cause progressive soiling, aesthetic degradation, and structural deterioration while imposing high maintenance and energy burdens. Photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has emerged as the most widely studied material for imparting self-cleaning functionality to building surfaces, owing to its ability to mineralize adsorbed contaminants under solar irradiation and to modulate surface wettability. This narrative review provides a structured account of TiO₂-based self-cleaning coatings for building materials, organized around three complementary themes: surface mechanisms, performance metrics, and outdoor durability. We first rationalize the two intertwined self-cleaning mechanisms—photocatalytic oxidative degradation and photoinduced superhydrophilicity—and their combination with physically repellent (superhydrophobic/superamphiphobic) wetting states. We then survey the principal coating-design strategies, including morphology and facet engineering, SiO₂-TiO₂ composites, metal/non-metal doping and heterojunction construction for visible-light activation, and dual-functional photocatalytic–superhydrophobic systems, and their integration into cementitious substrates, natural stone and cultural heritage, and transparent glass/photovoltaic surfaces. The quantitative metrics used to benchmark self-cleaning performance—water contact angle, dye photodegradation, NO_x and VOC abatement, and antimicrobial activity—are critically discussed together with the limitations of standardized laboratory tests. Finally, we analyze the weathering-induced deactivation pathways (photocatalyst leaching, surface contamination by soluble salts, and UV aging of organic matrices) and the emerging strategies for durable coatings, including inorganic binders, light-driven hydration, and defect- and heterojunction-engineered photocatalysts. The review concludes with an outlook on the open challenges that must be addressed to translate these coatings from laboratory demonstrations to long-lived, large-scale building applications. Full article

By introducing BaTiO₃ into conventional hydroxyapatite (HA) bioactive ceramic coatings, a novel HA/BaTiO₃ piezoelectric-hydrophilic bioactive ceramic coating was developed. In this research, four groups of composite coatings with BaTiO₃ contents of 0, 10, 20, and 30 wt.% were comparatively fabricated and investigated, which in situ constructs a bioelectric microenvironment on the titanium surface. This strategy achieves the effective integration of electrical stimulation with bioactive ceramic coatings, resulting in a piezoelectric-hydrophilic bioactive ceramic layer that mimics biomineralization-driven osteogenesis. Experimental results demonstrate that, through laser cladding, BaTiO₃ particles can be embedded within the piezoelectric-hydrophilic bioactive ceramic coating, endowing the coating with mechano-electrical conversion functionality. Microdomain piezoelectric responses were successfully generated on the coating surface, and based on the maximum local piezoelectric response, the optimal BaTiO₃ content was determined to be 20 wt.%, yielding a microdomain piezoelectric coefficient of 712.6 pm/V. Furthermore, the piezoelectric-hydrophilic bioactive ceramic coating exhibits excellent bioactivity. Electrostatic interactions between piezoelectric charges and inorganic ions in physiological fluids facilitate the adsorption of calcium and phosphorus salts onto the coating surface, thereby enhancing surface hydrophilicity. This promotes the infiltration of inorganic ions and water molecules at the material interface, which in turn strengthens bioactivity, accelerates bone integration, and expedites the establishment of a robust osseointegration interface between joint prostheses and host bone. Full article

The design and the synthesis of molecule-based crystalline salts made up of simple cationic and/or anionic building blocks with multiple, occasionally stimulus-responsive, chemical (host–guest, catalytic, acid–base, or redox) and physical (optical, magnetic, or conducting) properties constitute two major goals in inorganic, organic, organometallic, and coordination chemistries. A deep knowledge of the basic features of molecular and supramolecular interactions that occur in the solid state is needed to progress along these tasks to obtain new advanced multifunctional materials. Inspired by the outstanding research of several groups on magnetic molecular salts from the mid-1970s to the present day, this review offers a personal portrayal of the history of molecular magnetism and molecular electronics and its current evolution toward molecular spintronics and quantum computing. We focus on the well-known families of molecular salts based on paramagnetic tetrathiafulvalenium/tetraselenafulvalenium or tetracyanoethenide/tetracyanoquinodimethanide organic radicals, cyclopentadienide/cyclooctatetraenide metallocenium complexes, and polyhalide/polycyanide, porphyrin/phthalocyanine, oxalate/dithiooxalate, or dithiolene/dithiolate metal complexes with first-, second-, or third-row transition metal (nd, n = 3–5) and lanthanide (4f) ions. This old but evergreen class of magnetic molecular salts provides illustrative “textbook” examples of advanced multifunctional materials such as molecular magnets and conductors, molecular magnetic conductors, molecular nanomagnets, and molecular quantum bits with potential nanotechnological applications in quantum information storage and processing. Full article

The bioconversion of semiconductor processing sludge (SPS) is conventionally bottlenecked by highly cross-linked extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) that sequester concentrated inorganic salts. Forcible EPS deconstruction in single-stage anaerobic digestion triggers an abrupt release of these ions, inducing acute osmotic shock and systemic metabolic failure. To overcome this coupled thermodynamic and kinetic barrier, this study proposes a spatiotemporal decoupling framework utilizing waste resource sludge (WRS) as a physicochemical buffering matrix with a proposed ion-hydration/dielectric contribution. An engineered two-stage system was evaluated using controlled laboratory-scale anaerobic batch assays at 41 °C to segregate the initial acidogenic deconstruction from the subsequent methanogenic mineralization. Baseline single-stage digestion suffered severe paralysis, characterized by an electrical conductivity (EC) surge to 46.9 mS/cm and a negligible methane yield (14.5 mL CH₄/g VS). Conversely, the decoupled strategy effectively buffered the peak ionic stress to a safe threshold (15.8 mS/cm) and enhanced macromolecular liquefaction, achieving a 3.4-fold increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand. Consequently, the methanogenic stage delivered a maximum methane potential of 294.6 mL CH₄/g VS with a significantly shortened lag phase of 3.2 days. Molecular and taxonomic analyses confirmed that this enhanced performance was driven by structural EPS dismantling and a targeted microbial succession—transitioning from a robust Lactobacillaceae-dominated consortium for initial deconstruction to a diverse bacterial syntrophic network associated with methanogenic conversion. These findings establish the mechanistic feasibility of the proposed approach under controlled laboratory-scale batch conditions. Continuous-flow validation is nevertheless required to determine long-term process stability and engineering-scale applicability. Ultimately, this microenvironmental buffering approach provides a resilient, mild intervention pathway for extreme industrial waste, providing a potential mechanistic framework for future cross-industry resource circularity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dietary nitrate, long framed through food-safety concerns about N-nitroso compound formation, is now also recognised as a substrate of the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway. This review aims to define the mechanistic, dietary and host conditions under which nitrate bioactivation becomes functionally relevant, with particular attention to its microbial determinants and to the level of inference the evidence actually supports. Methods: We conducted a narrative review supported by a structured literature search (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science; 1 January 1976 to 14 February 2026; full-text, peer-reviewed, English-language, human-relevant sources; 148 sources retained, of which 93 contributed to the evidence synthesis), with narrative synthesis of mechanistic, interventional, observational and regulatory sources addressing dietary source and food matrix, enterosalivary metabolism, oral and gut microbial function, and health-related outcomes. A PRISMA-style flow diagram summarises the documented screening and inclusion process, and the complete database-specific search strategies are provided in Supplementary Table S1; no meta-analysis was performed because of substantial heterogeneity in designs and outcomes. Results: Within the canonical enterosalivary pathway, nitrate-to-nitrite bioactivation is predominantly microbiota-dependent and downstream conversion is chemically conditional: within the enterosalivary cycle, nitrate-reducing bacteria on the tongue dorsum generate the nitrite required for downstream nitric oxide formation, and its conversion in the stomach depends on pH and on matrix constituents. Dietary source and food matrix therefore govern both the delivered dose and the chemistry that follows, so vegetables, beetroot products, inorganic salts, drinking water and processed meat are not interchangeable exposure models. The oral microbiota is the principal microbial determinant of the response, whereas the gut microbiota acts as a context-dependent modifier of intestinal redox tone, barrier function and microbial ecology, supported by markedly weaker human evidence. Nitrate-rich sources reproducibly raise nitrate and nitrite biomarkers, with variable effects on blood pressure, vascular function and exercise efficiency, limited or inconsistent effects on cognition, cerebral blood flow and metabolic endpoints, and a safety profile whose interpretation depends on food matrix, dose, exposure pattern and host context rather than concentration alone. Conclusions: We propose the Source–Matrix–Microbiota–Host (SMMH) framework, in which biological impact depends on the interaction between dietary source and dose, food matrix, microbial nitrate-reducing capacity and host susceptibility, rather than on nitrate dose alone, and in which pathway-level, physiological and clinical evidence are kept explicitly distinct. The evidence base is mechanistically robust for the oral microbiota, considerably less defined for the gut microbiota, and variable at the level of validated clinical endpoints; it does not yet support source-independent guidelines or population-level recommendations. Full article

The development of sustainable materials for additive manufacturing (AM) has positioned starch as a compelling alternative to conventional thermoplastics. However, the successful implementation of starch in 3D printing (3DP) relies on precise control of its supramolecular organization, rheological behavior, and processing conditions. This article analyzes starch-based hydrogels for extrusion-driven AM, establishing explicit links between molecular architecture, gelatinization, and viscoelastic performance. The influence of key rheological parameters on extrudability and shape fidelity is examined in parallel with critical processing conditions. Chemical and physical modification routes of starch are compared in terms of their structural impact and printability enhancement. The integration of additives such as polysaccharides, proteins, and inorganic salts is discussed as a strategy to overcome intrinsic mechanical limitation. Emerging non-food application in drug delivery, tissue engineering, or conductive/intelligent hydrogels demonstrates the expanding technological relevance of starch-based formulation. Remaining challenges include predictive, rheology-based design, and the development of multifunctional 4D-printing capabilities. Progress in this field is crucial for positioning starch as a robust platform for sustainable AM, but, despite this progress, a systematic and quantitative framework linking starch molecular architecture and rheological behavior to printing-process parameters and outcomes is still lacking, thus constituting the central gap addressed in this review. Full article

Panax ginseng, a high-value medicinal plant, faces substantial yield losses due to black spot disease, while conventional chemical controls cause pesticide residues and soil ecological damage, necessitating green biocontrol strategies. Here, two antagonistic strains, Bacillus sp. WY17 and WY26, were isolated from the surface-sterilized internal root tissues of 10-year-old ginseng. Through systematic optimization of carbon/nitrogen sources, inorganic salts, and fermentation parameters (temperature, pH, agitation, inoculum size, and duration), the optimal culture conditions were established. The optimal consortium consisted of WY17 and WY26 in a 2:1 ratio (WY17:WY26 = 2:1), which achieved an antifungal inhibition rate of 84.94% against the pathogen compared to the untreated control group (pathogen only). Mechanistic investigations revealed that the crude protein extract exerted its antifungal effect by compromising the integrity of the pathogen’s cell membrane, leading to increased permeability and leakage of intra-cellular contents, and produced cell wall-degrading enzymes (chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase), thereby inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination. In vitro efficacy tests demonstrated that this crude protein extract performed comparably to the chemical fungicide 70% mancozeb, with no statistically significant difference observed between them (p > 0.05). These findings identify a promising compound biocontrol agent derived from indigenous Bacillus strains, offering an effective and environmentally friendly alternative for managing ginseng black spot disease. Full article

Biodiesel production from waste cooking oils, non-edible oils and other low-grade lipid feedstocks is constrained by free fatty acids, water, salts, oxidation products, and the poor miscibility of triglycerides with short-chain alcohols. Carbon–inorganic hybrid catalysts are attractive because the inorganic phase can provide strong acid or base sites, while the carbon phase can alter dispersion, wettability, pore accessibility, microenvironment polarity, leaching, and recovery. Yet the term hybrid is often applied to materials for which the carbon component has not been shown to affect catalysis. This critical review therefore focuses on one defined reaction scenario: esterification and transesterification for biodiesel production from low-grade lipid feedstocks. The discussion is organized by the catalytic problem rather than by an unrestricted catalogue of materials. Carbon-supported CaO and MgO, carbon-coupled layered-double-hydroxide-derived mixed oxides, sulfonated carbon–inorganic acids, bifunctional acid–base systems, magnetically recoverable ferrite/carbon catalysts, and graphenic supports are compared through structure–activity relationships, reaction conditions, feedstock quality, FAME yield, heterogeneity, reusability, and post-reaction evidence. Particular attention is given to the distinction between a true interfacial effect and activity caused by leached Ca, K, Na or sulfonic species. A minimum evidence hierarchy is proposed, requiring carbon-only, inorganic-only, and physical-mixture controls, hot-filtration tests, elemental analysis of the liquid phase, recovered-mass accounting, and post-reaction structural characterization. The literature shows that high first-cycle yield is common, whereas water tolerance, low leaching, retained active-site density, and continuous operation remain uncommon. The most defensible future direction is therefore not greater compositional complexity, but simpler hybrid architectures designed around a specific failure mode and validated under realistic feedstock and reactor conditions. Full article

With the continuous expansion of ultra-deep and deep well drilling toward complex geological formations, the performance stability of water-based drilling fluids and wellbore stability under ultra-high temperature and high-salinity conditions have become critical challenges. High temperature and salt contamination can induce the degradation or failure of drilling fluid additives, while the development of pores and fractures in complex formations further increases the risk of filtrate invasion. Conventional polymer and inorganic plugging agents often suffer from insufficient thermal stability, poor salt tolerance, or limited adaptability to complex pore structures. In this study, an organic–inorganic hybrid gel microsphere plugging agent (HGP) with a core–shell structure was developed by in situ polymerization of AMPS, styrene (St), and sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) on KH570-modified nano-SiO₂. The hybrid microspheres consisted of a rigid SiO₂ core and a flexible polymer shell, providing synergistic thermal stability, mechanical strength, and deformation capability. Structural characterization confirmed the successful formation of the designed organic–inorganic hybrid structure. After aging at 240 °C, HGP maintained stable morphology and dispersion characteristics, while exerting minimal influence on drilling fluid rheological properties. The addition of 3 wt% HGP reduced API fluid loss by approximately 30% and decreased sand bed invasion by approximately 50% after high-temperature aging. Under 35 wt% NaCl and 5 wt% CaCl₂ contamination, HGP maintained effective filtration control, reducing fluid loss by more than 50% compared with the base fluid. Furthermore, HGP achieved core plugging efficiencies above 94% and reduced mud cake permeability by over 70%, demonstrating superior plugging performance compared with polymer microspheres NF-1 and SiO₂ particles. The enhanced performance was considered to arise from the synergistic effects of stable dispersion, pore-throat bridging, deformation filling, and structural stabilization. This study provides a rigid–flexible hybrid strategy for designing high-performance plugging agents for ultra-high temperature and high-salinity water-based drilling fluids. Full article

Flexible capacitive humidity sensors are pivotal for next-generation wearable electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. However, conventional devices suffer from severe salt leaching and delamination of hygroscopic sensing materials, alongside poor interfacial adhesion and mechanical fragility of metallic electrodes. Herein, an innovative in situ strategy is reported for constructing LiCl-CH₃COOK/laser-induced graphene (LIG) composite flexible electrodes via single-step laser direct writing. This approach simultaneously patterns three-dimensional (3D) porous LIG interdigitated networks on polyimide substrates and drives deep infiltration of the LiCl-CH₃COOK hygroscopic phase within the graphene pores. The 3D interconnected LIG skeleton not only provides abundant physical anchoring sites and rapid water vapor transport channels but also effectively suppresses the physical loss and leaching of the deliquesced salts through micro-nanoscale spatial confinement, yielding remarkable interfacial stability and cycling lifetime. Benefiting from the synergistic deliquescence of the composite salts, the sensor delivers an exceptional sensitivity of 65,570% (ΔC/C₀), moderate response/recovery times of 75/90 s, and ultralow hysteresis of 0.981%. Furthermore, the streamlined laser-scribing route replaces conventional costly microfabrication sequences, enabling low-cost, high-precision customization. Demonstrations in human respiration monitoring and smart agriculture validate the sensor’s superior reliability and practical applicability, establishing a novel pathway for miniaturized, highly integrated, and robust flexible humidity detection systems. Full article

In this study, a lanthanum-modified MgAl double-layer hydroxide (La-LDH) was synthesized and investigated as a novel inorganic consolidant for gypsum, lime and cement-based mortars. The material was characterized by X-ray diffraction, WDXRF, SEM, dispersion stability analyses and DLS. XRD confirmed the formation of a hydrotalcite-like structure with secondary phases of lanthanum carbonate and hydroxylcarbonate, while SEM observations revealed a platelet-like morphology, typical of LDH materials. DLS analysis revealed a polydisperse granular distribution, with particle populations centered at approximately 99 and 383 nm, indicating the coexistence of nanometer sized LDH particles and larger aggregates within the consolidant dispersion. The prepared material (0.5 g/L) was dispersed in ethanol–water solution (40%:60%) and applied by brushing onto the specimens made for this purpose. The treatment resulted in minor chromatic variations (ΔE* < 1.5 for all substrates). No surface crusting, visible deposits or adverse aesthetic changes after treatment or accelerated ageing were observed. Of the substrates investigated, lime mortar showed the most pronounced response, indicating a 26.4% increase in surface cohesion, together with a substantial improvement in water permeability (up to 87%). In contrast, gypsum and cement mortars showed only limited improvements. Artificial ageing tests demonstrated good visual stability of the treated surfaces, while freeze–thaw tests indicated only minor changes in frost resistance. Salt crystallization tests showed that the treatment did not negatively affect the strength of any of the substrates investigated and, in several cases, delayed crack propagation and material loss during cyclic exposure to sodium sulphate solution. Full article