A bifunctional self-healing coating enhanced by attapulgite functionalized MXene with inhibitor integration

Ti3C2Tx nanosheets, emerging as revolutionary 2D nanomaterials, have sparked interest in advanced applications due to their thin-layered architecture and promise as innovative nanofillers for a variety of applications. To address the oxidation and stacking of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets with the polymer, a novel multifunctional Ti3C2Tx- based nanocomposite is engineered by an etching method. The Ti3C2Tx surface is functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), and attapulgite (ATP) is implanted on the NH2-Ti3C2Tx interface to lower the cohesive energy between nanosheets. The novel self-healing epoxy films were achieved by encapsulating self- healing components ((8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) + 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT)) in the ATP-based NH2- Ti3C2Tx nanocomposite (AMQM). Inhibited AA2024-T3 surface revealed hydrophobic nature, whereas the pH sensitive coatings exhibited strong adherence to the substrate and improved compatibility and mechanical strength. The impedance of artificially scratched epoxy film rose from 0.073 M Omega cm2 to 0.198 M Omega cm2 (after 12 h) and from 0.027 M Omega cm2 to 2.189 M Omega cm2 (after 96 h) in comparison with the control samples. Simulations depict the presence of hydrogen bonds between the inhibitors and the 2024-T3 alloy, as well as twice the adsorption energy compared to the individual inhibitors. Therefore, a novel pH-sensitive self-healing coating offers a synergistic approach for promising corrosion suppression.