Silica-based matting formulations and methods of making and using the same

A matting formulation for aqueous coating composition comprising high pore volume silica particles blended with an amount of low pore volume silica particles that is sufficient to provide, when the matting formulation is incorporated into an aqueous coating composition and dried onto a substrate to form a film, the film having increased chemical resistance at a 60° gloss value target, wherein the high pore volume silica particles have a median pore volume of greater than 0.80 cc/g as determined by Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method and the low pore volume silica particles have a median pore volume equal to or less than 0.80 cc/g or less as determined by the BJH method, wherein said low pore volume silica particles are present in an amount of from about 1.0 weight percent (wt %) to about 99.0 wt %, and said high pore volume silica particles are present in an amount of from about 99.0 wt % to about 1.0 wt %, based on a total weight of said low pore volume silica particles and said high pore volume silica particles.