Two-dimensional nanomaterials based on graphene oxide functionalized Ti3C2Tx and Zn-MOF/benzotriazole corrosion inhibitors for enhanced coating corrosion resistance and pH-responsive self-healing

Aluminum alloys are widely used in marine engineering due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio. However, these materials are susceptible to localized corrosion phenomena, especially pitting and intergranular corrosion in corrosive marine environments, which greatly reduces their durability. To address this challenge, we have developed an innovative GO/MXene@ZIF-8-BTA nanocomposite epoxy coating system that strategically integrates multilayered GO/MXene heterostructures with ZIF-8 nanoparticles encapsulated with benzotriazole (BTA). Comprehensive characterization of physicochemical properties, colloidal stability, surface wettability, and corrosion protection properties confirmed the homogeneous dispersion and excellent compatibility of the nanocomposites. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed a low-frequency impedance modulus of 1.08 × 10 8 Ω•cm 2 , which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the pristine epoxy resin after 21 days of immersion in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The autonomous self-healing function was verified by a scratch test, where the corrosion rate was suppressed to 0.152 mpy in 48 hours (protection efficiency of 84.41%). Complementary density-functional theory (DFT) simulations provide atomic-scale insight into the energetics of adsorption, suggesting a pioneering approach to the long-term protection of aluminum alloys under extreme ocean service conditions.