Fabrication of quaternary ammonium polymer functionalized MXene nanocomposite coatings for antifouling and anticorrosion applications

Marine corrosion inflicts substantial economic losses to the marine industry and has become a widespread problem. Previous researches have confirmed the antimicrobial activity of MXene. In this study, a silane coupling agent, KH570, was introduced for grafting MXene, followed by free radical polymerization with the antifouling agent dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), resulting in a block polymerized functionalized MXene (referred to as PQDMX). In contrast to conventional coatings that only provide anti-corrosion or anti-fouling properties, the formulated PQDMX/EP exhibited commendable anti-fouling traits, with a 63% increase in inhibition rate. This enhancement is attributed to the synergistic anti-fouling effect of MXene nanosheets and quaternary ammonium polymer. Furthermore, PQDMX/EP demonstrated superior anti-corrosion performance, owing to the incapacitation of corrosive ions by Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. Even after 14 days of immersion, the Nyquist plot of the composite coating indicates high |Zf|0.01 Hz values, reaching up to 4.13 E10 Ω cm2.