Calcium‐silicate‐hydrates/polycarboxylate ether nanocomposites doped by magnesium: Enhanced stability and accelerating effect on cement hydration

C-S-H/PCE (calcium-silicate-hydrates/polycarboxylate ether) nanocomposites have a significant accelerating effect on early hydration and early strength development of cementitious materials. In this study, magnesium ions are doped into C-S-H/PCE nanocomposites, and it is found that C-S-H/PCE nanocomposites doped by appropriate magnesium ions have much better stability. Besides, the accelerating effects of the modified nanocomposites on early cement hydration also get improved. The doped magnesium ions displace calcium ions and promote the absorption of PCE. Moreover, the incorporation of magnesium ions results in two unique morphologies of nanocomposites, that is, globule and gel. The globules are semi-crystalline similar to C-S-H, while the gels are amorphous and have more branched silicate chains.