Ambient-stable polyethyleneimine functionalized Ti3C2T nanohybrid corrosion inhibitor for copper in alkaline electrolyte

Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was decorated on Ti3C2Tx ([email protected]nP) to solve its oxidation bottleneck in aqueous solutions, and the functionalized Ti3C2Tx could be re-dispersed in 0.5 M NaOH solution as an excellent corrosion inhibitor for copper. Assisted by Coulomb attraction, the ensuing Ti-N bond was responsible for grafted PEI. The anchored polymer chain efficiently capped the oxidation-sensitive defects on Ti3C2Tx, and thus improved its colloidal stability. When the mass ratio of PEI/Ti3C2Tx attained 0.33 ([email protected]), the aqueous dispersion exhibited the robust shelf-life for 30 days at 25 °C. [email protected]nP acted as a mixed-type inhibitor with dominant anodic effect for copper in NaOH solutions; and [email protected] can also be the optimal prototype that furthest mitigated copper dissolution. Interfacial cupric/cuprous species reduction by Ti3C2Tx, electrostatic adsorption and electrons sharing of PEI constituted the protective mechanism of [email protected]nP for copper in alkaline electrolyte.