In the present work, the efficiency of an ecofriendly 5% (w/v) solution of zein in DMSO was evaluated as protective material for stone. The solution was sprayed on 5 × 5 × 1 cm slabs of Serena stone, a sandstone widely used in Florentine architecture, in order to create a hydrophobic coating. The obtained coating turned out to be hydrophobic, showing WCA of around 120°, while a reduction of 8.4% in water uptake was observed during 15 days. SEM and profilometer analyses stated that the zein coating application resulted in the formation of a compact film on the stone's surface with a continuous structure characterized by micro-scale roughness. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of the thin conformal layer over the stone. A mechanism of hydrophobic surface formation, in which both the roughness and the solvent's evaporation style are believed to play a significant role, was finally proposed. Accelerated aging tests indicated a good resistance to aging in terms of hydrophobicity and color variations, where the overall color parameter of ΔE < 2.0 was maintained, indicating invisible color changes to the naked eye. This sustainable approach can be easily scaled and may represent a valuable alternative to the most common synthetic treatments used nowadays in stone protection.

在目前的工作中，将玉米蛋白在 DMSO 中的 5% (w/v) 环境友好溶液作为石材保护材料的效率进行了评估。将溶液喷在 5 × 5 × 1 cm 的 Serena 石板上，这是一种广泛用于佛罗伦萨建筑的砂岩，以形成疏水涂层。结果表明，所得涂层具有疏水性，WCA 约为 120°，而在 15 天内观察到吸水量减少了 8.4%。SEM 和轮廓仪分析表明，玉米醇溶蛋白涂层的应用导致在石头表面形成了一层致密的薄膜，该薄膜具有以微尺度粗糙度为特征的连续结构。XPS 分析证实了宝石上存在薄的保形层。疏水表面形成的机制，其中粗糙度和溶剂' s 蒸发式被认为发挥了重要作用，最终被提出。加速老化测试表明在疏水性和颜色变化方面具有良好的抗老化性，其中保持 ΔE < 2.0 的整体颜色参数，表明肉眼看不到颜色变化。这种可持续的方法可以很容易地扩展，并且可能是当今石材保护中最常见的合成处理的一种有价值的替代方案。