Methods are provided for preparing aromatic silicon-containing compounds. The methods include providing an aromatic starting material; reacting the aromatic starting material with a base to form an aromatic salt; and reacting the aromatic salt with a halo-alkylene-silane to form an aromatic silicon-containing compound. Compositions prepared by these methods, protective layers that include hydrolysis and condensation products of such compositions, electrophotographic photoreceptors that include such protective layers, and image forming apparatuses that include such electrophotographic photoreceptors are also provided. In addition, method for preparing electrophotographic photoreceptors that include protective layers including hydrolysis and condensation products of aromatic silicon-containing compounds prepared by the methods for preparing aromatic silicon-containing compounds are provided.