A century of research on calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H): Leaping from structural characterization to nanoengineering

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Vol. 105; no. 5; pp. 3081 - 3099
• Main Authors: Basquiroto de Souza, Felipe, Sagoe‐Crentsil, Kwesi, Duan, Wenhui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Columbus Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2022
• Subjects: Calcium silicate hydrate; calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H); Cement; Concrete properties; molecular simulations; nanocharacterization; Nanoengineering; Portland cement; Portland cements; Structural analysis
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/jace.18304

Calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) gel is the glue of Portland cement that governs most of the physicochemical properties of concrete. Inherently, understanding and controlling its complex gel structure has long been an active area of research and deemed critical to realizing stronger, smarter, and more sustainable cementitious materials. Marking the 100th anniversary of Le Chatelier's publication on C–S–H colloids and crystalloids, here we present an overview of the broader developments in a century of research on C–S–H—covering the initial descriptions of its nanostructure, the onset of nanocharacterization, and molecular simulations to access its intricate texture and, ultimately, the design of nanoengineered ultra‐high‐performance C–S–H‐based materials. Overall, it is noted that further advances in characterization techniques and simulation methods remain pivotal to unraveling the nanoscale features of C–S–H and, thereby, drive the nanoengineering of cement materials at larger scales.