Preparation and anticorrosion properties of BTA@HNTs-GO nanocomposite smart coatings

Herein, a new strategy for improving anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coatings has been developed, which combined halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with graphene oxide (GO). On one hand, the corrosion inhibitors loaded in nanocontainers will be released in the event of a coating damage that will subsequently prevent metal from further corrosion because of the pH-responsive ability of the nanocomposite. On the other hand, GO exerts the physical barrier property to protect metal matrix against corrosive medium. This endows the coating system with both active and passive protection performances. The release behavior of BTA loaded in the lumen of the HNTs was determined by UV-vis, and the dispersity of the composite in epoxy coating was evaluated by SEM. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed that the BTA@HNTs-GO hybrid composite has an excellent anti-corrosion performance.