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The flexural strength and compressive strength are the two most important parameters that characterize the mechanical properties of cement-based materials, but the two are usually mutually exclusive or negatively correlated. The flexural strength of cement-based materials cannot be effectively improved by a single nanomaterial without reducing their compressive properties. Therefore, compounding various micro–nano materials, fully utilizing their respective advantages, and developing composite materials with new properties and application characteristics are important techniques for enhancing the mechanical properties of cement-based materials. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic enhancement of the mechanical properties of concrete by using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and nano-silica (NS) composites. MCC and NS were mixed and modified to synthesize MCCNS materials, which were added to cement slurry for experiments. Results indicated that the flexural strength and compressive strength of the cement paste with MCCNS materials were significantly increased compared with those of the cement pastes without MCCNS or with only NS. The flexural strength of the cement paste with MCCNS-1 was increased by 47%, 20%, 6.3%, and 6.8% after curing for 1, 7, 28, and 56 days, respectively. Meanwhile, compressive strength was also increased by 14.4%, 6.3%, 6.8% and 6.5%, respectively. In addition, the reaction mechanism was speculated through a variety of test results. The addition of MCCNS material facilitated the formation of additional C-S-H, which also contributed to enhancing the mechanical properties of cement paste. • Novel nanocomposites were synthesized using MCC and NS through adsorption-phase reaction and sol–gel methods. • The mechanical properties of cement-based materials were notably enhanced by incorporating MCCNS materials. • The volcanic ash activity of NS led to additional C-S-H formation, improving the mechanical strength of the cement paste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(amino acid)-type macromolecules (PAAs), poly(ethylene glycol) -b- poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-PAAs), and poly(ethylene glycol)- b -poly(glutamic acid) (PEG-PGAs) were synthesized, and their states in aqueous solutions were studied. PEG-PAAs and PEG-PGAs were first used as novel polycarboxylate superplasticizers, and their dispersion and adsorption behaviors were investigated in cement slurries in the absence and presence of montmorillonite (MMT) clay. The results demonstrated that both PEG-PAAs and PEG-PGAs not only showed excellent water reducing and fluidity retention capabilities but also exhibited remarkable MMT clay tolerance. In contrast to the stretched molecular conformation of traditional polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCEs), the hydrophobic main chain and the side methylene and ethylene linkers connected to the carboxylic groups of PAA and PGA segments resulted in self-assembly of the PEG-PAAs and PEG-PGAs in aqueous solutions, and the self-assembled nanosized aggregates exhibited relatively uniform spherical morphologies with average sizes of 30–100 nm. Carboxylic groups located on the periphery of the nanoaggregates acted as anchors and adsorbed on the surfaces of the cement particles. The nanoaggregates and the stretched hydrophilic PEG side chains, which jointly produced and enhanced the steric hindrance to prevent cement particle aggregation and hydration, resulted in notable dispersion capabilities. Total organic carbon (TOC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) analyses revealed that the adsorption between the MMT clay and PAA nanoaggregates was surface adsorption (rather than interlayer adsorption), and this significant finding could be ascribed to the enlarged steric hindrance of the PAA nanoaggregates, which prevented the interlamination adsorption consumption of MMT clay to PAAs and revealed the outstanding clay insensitivity. This study provides a new perspective and strategy to design novel poly(amino acid)-type superplasticizers (PAAs) with excellent dispersion performances and improved clay tolerance. [Display omitted] • Poly(amino acid)-type superplasticizers (PAAs) with enhanced dispersing performance for cement doped with clay impurities. • The self-assembled nanoaggregates of PAAs enhanced steric hindrance and resulted in notable dispersion capabilities. • The enlarged steric hindrance of PAAs prevented interlamination adsorption and revealed outstanding clay insensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]