Combinatorial materials research applied to the development of new surface coatings XI: a workflow for the development of hybrid organic-inorganic coatings

Interest in hybrid organic-inorganic (HOI) materials has grown rapidly in the last two decades. The appeal of this broad class of materials can be attributed to the unique combinations of properties that can be achieved by combining an inorganic phase with an organic phase. HOI materials can be divided into two basic categories: homogeneous systems derived from monomers or miscible organic and inorganic components, and heterogeneous, phase-separated systems with domains ranging from angstroms to micrometers in size. The structure of the inorganic component is dependent on the interaction of many variables such as pH, water content, overall solution concentration, solvent composition, temperature, and time. Due to the complexity of HOI materials, a combinatorial/high-throughput approach to the development of novel materials is highly desired. The authors have recently developed a combinatorial workflow for the synthesis and characterization of HOI coatings. Initial experimentation conducted with the workflow was focused on the development of primers for corrosion protection derived from a HOI binder system and magnesium particles. Both the homogeneous and heterogeneous HOI binders were investigated. With just one iteration of the combinatorial workflow, heterogeneous, moisture-curable HOI binders were identified, which enabled the formation of magnesium-rich primers that provided excellent corrosion protection to an aerospace aluminum alloy (Al 2024).