Electrodeposited Ti3C2Tx MXene composite coating toward superior surface protection on aluminum alloy in PEMFC environments

A thin dodecyltrimethoxysilane/Ti3C2Tx MXene coating is constructed on aluminum alloy by a green electrodeposition approach. With a combination of dodecyltrimethoxysilane and Ti3C2Tx, the coating exhibits a low corrosion current density (9.284×10-7 A/cm2) in 0.5 M H2SO4 + 2ppm HF and a low wear rate (3.82×10-3 mm3N-1m-1). As confirmed by electrochemical tests, surface analysis, and in-situ corrosion observation, the improvement of the protective abilities is due to the strong barrier of Ti3C2Tx and strong adhesion of the coating to the substrate. The thin MXene coating obtained with a high rate can be applied in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).