Assessment of corrosion protection of Ti3C2Tx@CoAl-LDH composite coatings formed on steel sheets

Abstract

Multiple kinds of layered materials have acquired much attention in the field of corrosion inhibition due to their distinctive two-dimensional (2D) structure. However, the inherent disadvantages of a single 2D material remarkably limit its performance. In this work, the layered Ti₃C₂T_x@cobalt-aluminum layered double hydroxide (Ti₃C₂T_x@CoAl-LDH) heterostructures have been synthesized successfully, and the obtained Ti₃C₂T_x@CoAl-LDH composite integrates the advantages of the high electron conductivity of Ti₃C₂T_x and the high electro-chemical activities of CoAl-LDH, thus effectively enhancing the electrochemical reactivity of electrode materials and accelerating the kinetics of the Faraday reaction. Additionally, the functional Ti₃C₂T_x with different functional groups enables CoAl-LDH to exhibit improved corrosion resistance performance. The corrosion resistance performance is appraised by the Tafel curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of the electrochemical tests demonstrate that the Ti₃C₂T_x@CoAl-LDH composite delivers excellent corrosion resistance performance with the lowest corrosion current density (2.8338 × 10⁻⁹ A cm⁻²) and the largest corrosion resistance (1.656 × 10⁵ Ω). This work paves the way for the potential application of Ti₃C₂T_x-based materials in the field of corrosion protection.