1D/2D carbon fiber/MXene synergistically reinforced epoxy powder coating towards superior erosion resistance and anti-corrosion performance

One-dimensional (1D) carbon fiber (CF) and two-dimensional (2D) MXene, with high strength and physical barrier properties separately, are expected to simultaneously realize a synergistic reinforcing effect as strengthening fillers in epoxy resin to protect steel structures. However, synergistic reinforcement is significantly limited by the chemical compatibility and dispersing state of fillers in resin due to the chemical inertness of CF and self-stacking properties of MXene. Inspired by the chemical structure of mussel’s foot filaments, Fe 3+ -tannic acid (Fe 3+ -TA) metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) were constructed on the surface of fillers. Herein, the 1D/2D CF/MXene synergistically reinforced coating was designed with enhanced performance by simultaneously incorporating TA/Fe 3+ @CF (TCF) and TA/Fe 3+ @MXene (TMX) into the epoxy matrix. In the coating, 1D TCF could resist impact, and 2D TMX could provide barrier properties. Erosion test results indicate the T(CF+MX)/EP showed a reduction in volume loss by 13.34% and 13.28%, as well as mass loss by 2.11% and 11.59%, respectively, compared to TCF/EP and TMX/EP. The | Z | 0.01Hz of T(CF+MX)/EP stayed at 1.15 × 10 9 Ω cm 2 even following 25 d of immersion under 60 MPa alternating hydrostatic pressure (higher than that of TCF/EP and TMX/EP). This study could provide insights for multiscale fillers design to utilize synergistic reinforcement with enhanced protective performance of coatings.