In situ growth of aminated silica on MXene nanosheets: A novel 0D/2D hybrid structure for multifunctional waterborne epoxy composite coatings

Multifunctional composites are becoming a major research trend in modern materials manufacturing. In this study, a superior stable dispersion of Ti3C2Tx MXene with in situ growth of aminated silica (FSiO2) was prepared. The nanohybrid (FSiO2-MX) was used for preparing anti-corrosive and wear-resistant waterborne epoxy (WEP) composite coatings. The results show that MXene was effectively coated by FSiO2 and was not easily exfoliated. In the tribological tests, the wear rate of the coating with reinforcement 0.4 wt% FSiO2-MX composites decreased from 19.81 × 10−2 to 3.93 × 10−2 mm3·N−1·m−1. Moreover, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicated that the |Z0.01 Hz| value for 4-FSM/WEP composite coating (1.33 × 109 Ω·cm2) was more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of the pure WEP (5.40 × 106 Ω·cm2). Thus, through the synergistic effects of zero-dimensional (0D) materials and two-dimensional (2D) materials, high-performance and multi-functional coatings can be prepared.