Superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant of 2-methylimidazolezincsalt--based coating enhanced with silane modification

Developing eco-friendly coatings is crucial for protecting the surface of carbon steel, and particularly important is the development of chemically stable, durable, and highly stable superhydrophobic coatings which have become a growing trend. In this study, a hydrophobic nano-composite coating was synthesized, which consists of 2-methylimidazolezincsalt (ZIF-8) particles stabilized in cross-linked TEOS and coated with micro/nano-sized silica. Electrochemical experiments and surface analysis were conducted to evaluate the electrochemical behavior and interaction mechanism between ZIF-8 @SiO2/APTES/EP and Fe. The results showed that ZIF-8 @SiO2/APTES/EP has excellent inhibition performance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution with inhibition efficiency up to 99.99%. Even after soaking for 72 h, the impedance modulus remains at 6 orders of magnitude, demonstrating excellent anti-corrosion performance. SEM and contact angle analysis demonstrated that a dense ZIF-8 @SiO2/ APTES/EP film was formed on the mild steel surface, which has good corrosion resistance and chemical stability. This study is of great significance for guiding the design of high-performance hydrophobic coatings and meets the requirements of various industries for corrosion protection of mild steel surfaces.