Interfacial engineering of 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane functionalized Ti3C2Tx for reinforced epoxy coating with superior corrosion protection

Although Ti 3 C 2 T x exhibits promising potential for corrosion protection, its susceptibility to oxidation significantly limits the practical applications. In this study, 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) was employed to covalently graft onto Ti 3 C 2 T x surface, thereby preserving its layered structural integrity. Based on density-functional-theory calculations, we systematically elucidated the interaction mechanisms between amino functional group and various surface terminations of Ti 3 C 2 T x at the electronic structure level. Experimental results demonstrate that as-prepared APTES@Ti 3 C 2 T x hybrid significantly enhances the anti-corrosion performance of the epoxy coating. Electrochemical tests revealed that after 30 days of immersion in a 3.5   wt.% NaCl solution, APTES@Ti 3 C 2 T x /EP composite coating maintained a high low-frequency impedance modulus (|Z| f=0.01 Hz ) of 10 7 Ω·cm², which was one order of magnitude higher than that of the pure epoxy coating. Furthermore, the wet adhesion strength of composite coating reached 4.82   MPa, representing a 145.9% improvement compared to the control group. This study not only confirms the effectiveness of the APTES encapsulation strategy in improving the stability of MXene but also provides a new approach for designing long-scale, superior corrosion-resistant composite coatings.