gel (composed of nanometric colloidal particles) was obtained following
a procedure adapted from Myers and co-workers.49 (link) MilliQ water was boiled in a flask to remove the CO2 and then cooled down for 10–15 min. Calcium oxide
CaO was prepared by calcination of calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 (Merck) at 800 °C for 24 h. We subsequently mixed all ingredients—MilliQ
water, colloidal silica SiO2 (Ludox TM50, Merck), and calcium
oxide CaO, in this order—in a plastic container, with a water-to-solid
mass ratio (w/s) of 45 and a Ca/Si = 1. The container was immediately
sealed, placed on a roller (IKA Roller 6 basic, Werke GmbH and Co.
KG) for a gentle stirring, and flushed with nitrogen for 20 min through
two small holes made in the cover. The two holes were then sealed,
and the container was kept on the roller to assure proper solution
mixing and aging. After 1 week, the solution was centrifuged to obtain
the gel. The final water-to-solid ratio was around 2, and this could
slightly change due to the final solution centrifugation step. This
procedure was validated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), which confirmed
the presence of pure calcium silicate hydrate. The initial pH of the
C–S–H suspension (at w/s = 3) was 12.2, which decreased
slightly to 12.1 within 5 h due to carbonation.50 (link)