Corrosion protection coatings embedded with silane-functionalized rGO/SiO2 nanocontainers: Enhancing dispersive and corrosion-inhibitor loading capabilities

Taking advantage of the excellent barrier properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets and the loading capacity of mesoporous silica (SiO 2 ), silane-functionalized rGO/SiO 2 nanocontainers are synthesized and, after loaded with benzotriazole (BTA), composite corrosion protection coatings are prepared. The XRD , FTIR, XPS , SEM , and TEM are used to confirm the successful preparation of silane-functionalized rGO/SiO 2 nanocontainers, and BET and UV–visible measurements are used to estimate the loading and release behavior of BTA. Dispersion stability of the nanocontainers is observed, the surface morphology , wettability , and water absorption of coatings are characterized by SEM, water contact angle, and weight method, respectively. The corrosion behavior of pristine and scratched composite coatings is characterized by EIS , the effect of released BTA is further confirmed. The results show that silane-functionalized rGO/SiO 2 nanocontainers possess excellent dispersibility and load capacity, reduce defects and micropores in composite coatings, and provide improved permeability resistance, corrosion resistance , and self-repairing performance.