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

## TL;DR

Researchers developed a composite coating that significantly improves corrosion resistance on steel sheets by combining two materials with complementary properties.

## Contribution

A novel Ti3C2Tx@CoAl-LDH composite was synthesized, offering enhanced corrosion protection due to its unique structural and electrochemical properties.

## Key findings

- The composite achieved the lowest corrosion current density of 2.8338 × 10−9 A cm−2.
- It exhibited the highest corrosion resistance of 1.656 × 105 Ω.
- The composite integrates high electron conductivity and electrochemical activity for improved performance.

## 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 Ti3C2Tx@cobalt-aluminum layered double hydroxide (Ti3C2Tx@CoAl-LDH) heterostructures have been synthesized successfully, and the obtained Ti3C2Tx@CoAl-LDH composite integrates the advantages of the high electron conductivity of Ti3C2Tx 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 Ti3C2Tx 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 Ti3C2Tx@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 Ti3C2Tx-based materials in the field of corrosion protection.

Multiple kinds of layered materials have acquired much attention in the field of corrosion inhibition due to their distinctive two-dimensional (2D) structure.