Exploring and developing an efficient protective coating
for precious
stone heritages that have been exposed to sunlight and rain for a
long time is crucial. The UV resistance properties of nano-ZnO are
apparent. Nano-SiO2 has a stable chemical structure and
is one of the main components of stone. This paper introduces the
synergistic protective effect of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and SiO2 nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) on stone, which is novel
in this field. The functional nanocomposite coating (FZS coating)
was obtained by spraying the ultrasonic mixture of ZnO-NPs and SiO2-NPs, cross-linked with a silane coupling agent, and modified
by fluorocarbon. Wettability and UV aging tests showed that the sandstone
deposited by FZS coating had excellent amphiphobicity (water contact
angle (WCA) > 160°, oil contact angle (OCA) < 140°).
The hydrophobicity was almost changeless after 300 h of UV irradiation,
indicating high UV absorption capacity and durability. Interestingly,
the amphiphobicity remains unchanged after alternating treatments
of temperature and humidity, expressing superior weathering stability.
This facile functional coating has potential applications protecting
outdoor stone heritages.