Encapsulating polyaniline within porous MIL-101 for high-performance corrosion protection

Enhanced solid-liquid synergistic microextraction of nine bisphenols in serum using polyaniline functionalized metal-organic framework nanocomposites/methyl tert-butyl ether

Bisphenols, as a new class of environmental endocrine disruptors (EED), can interfere with the endocrine system of the human body and lead to various diseases. In this study, a novel polyaniline functionalized metal-organic framework (PANI@MIL-101@HF) was synthesized by utilizing hollow fibers (HF) as the the immobilization carrier, and combined with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) for solid-liquid cooperative adsorption to determine bisphenols (BPs) in serum samples. The immobilized adsorbent exhibited excellent high stability and hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the inclusion of amino and benzene rings in PANI enhanced the adsorption efficiency of BPs through π-π and hydrogen bond interactions. Surprisingly, owing to the synergies of size exclusion effect of the MIL-101 and HF, the exclusion rate of protein reached as high as 99.2-99.9%. Based on its excellent adsorption properties and protein exclusion effect, the immobilized adsorbent PANI@MIL-101@HF was successfully used as a new restricted material for the high extraction performance with solid-liquid synergy of nine bisphenols (BPs) in serum samples. The operation process has also become more convenient without centrifuging. Integrated with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), the nine BPs in serum samples have a wide linear range (2-200 ng mL-1) with low quantitative limits of 0.02 ng mL-1, and the recoveries ranged from 84.65 to 112.56%. The proposed method could be widely applied in convenient, green, and sensitive detection of endocrine disruptors from serum samples.

A Fabrication Strategy for Durable Slippery Organic Coating toward Antifouling and Anticorrosion via Digital Light Processing

The slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have recently attracted significant interest in marine antifouling and corrosion protection. Nevertheless, the insufficient durability and corrosion resistance of SLIPS considerably affect their application potential. In this work, a preparation strategy for ultradurable slippery organic coating was proposed to combat biofouling and corrosion. Digital light processing (DLP) was first employed to fabricate organic protective coatings with gradient porous structures to improve the stability and durability of the SLIPS. The structure with a smaller pore size in the upper segment relative to the basal area was designed to concurrently enhance the lubricant's storage and retention capabilities. The antifouling experiment demonstrated excellent antifouling performance, with a bacterial colonization of merely 2.08% after immersion in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa solution for 28 days. The antialgae assessment demonstrated that the surface antifouling efficacy of the gradient SLIPS coating was enhanced by 99.75% after a 10-day immersion period. The EIS results indicated that the SLIPS coating with a gradient porous structure exhibited remarkable corrosion resistance, as evidenced by a |Z|0.01 Hz value of 2.93 × 1010 Ω·cm2 after 60 days of immersion. The gradient porous structure effectively resolves the intrinsic dilemma between the storage and depletion of lubricant, which greatly improves the stability and durability of the SLIPS coating. The ultradurable slippery organic coating with facile preparation and controllable structure exhibits exceptional long-term antifouling and anticorrosion properties, thereby making it highly promising for potential application.

MOFs-Based Materials with Confined Space: Opportunities and Challenges for Energy and Catalytic Conversion

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a very promising material in the fields of energy and catalysis due to their rich active sites, tunable pore size, structural adaptability, and high specific surface area. The concepts of "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" have opened up huge development opportunities in the fields of energy storage, energy conversion, and catalysis, and have made significant progress and breakthroughs. In recent years, people have shown great interest in the development of MOFs materials and their applications in the above research fields. This review introduces the design strategies and latest progress of MOFs are included based on their structures such as core-shell, yolk-shell, multi-shelled, sandwich structures, unique crystal surface exposures, and MOF-derived nanomaterials in detail. This work comprehensively and systematically reviews the applications of MOF-based materials in energy and catalysis and reviews the research progress of MOF materials for atmospheric water harvesting, seawater uranium extraction, and triboelectric nanogenerators. Finally, this review looks forward to the challenges and opportunities of controlling the synthesis of MOFs through low-cost, improved conductivity, high-temperature heat resistance, and integration with machine learning. This review provides useful references for promoting the application of MOFs-based materials in the aforementioned fields.

Robust and stable superhydrophilic MIL-101 (Cr)-coated copper mesh for highly efficient oil/water emulsion separation

In this study, dip coating method was investigated to prepare superhydrophilic MIL-101 (Cr)-coated copper mesh for highly efficient oil/water emulsion separation. To increase the surface area of synthesized MIL-101 (Cr), a purification procedure was developed to remove unreacted H2BDC crystals present in the channel of the initial MIL-101 (Cr) sample synthesized. After that, a dispersing solution of MIL-101 (Cr) was needed to coat on the copper mesh. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was used as a binder in this procedure. The prepared membranes of M1 (once coated mesh) to M6 (six times coated mesh) were performed to separate oil/water emulsion effectively. Contact angle tests showed the superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic wettability behavior of MIL-101 (Cr)-coated copper meshes. The wetting mechanism of the prepared membranes is mostly relevant to the surface functional groups of purified MIL-101 (Cr). Also, the roughness of the nanostructured coated membranes was improved because of the uniform coating of MIL-101 (Cr) which is integrated into hydrophilic TPU. Oil/water separation results showed that M2 (twice coated mesh) showed the maximum amount of water flux (83076 L m-2 h-1) in oil/water separation and M3 (three times coated mesh) had the best performance of oil/water emulsion with 99.99% separation efficiency.

Advanced materials for smart protective coatings: Unleashing the potential of metal/covalent organic frameworks, 2D nanomaterials and carbonaceous structures

The detrimental impact of corrosion on metallic materials remains a pressing concern across industries. Recently, intelligent anti-corrosive coatings for safeguarding metal infrastructures have garnered significant interest. These coatings are equipped with micro/nano carriers that store corrosion inhibitors and release them when triggered by external stimuli. These advanced coatings have the capability to elevate the electrochemical impedance values of steel by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to the blank coating. However, achieving intelligent, durable, and reliable anti-corrosive coatings requires careful consideration in the design of these micro/nano carriers. This review paper primarily focuses on investigating the corrosion inhibition mechanism of various nano/micro carriers/barriers and identifying the challenges associated with using them for achieving desired properties in anti-corrosive coatings. Furthermore, the fundamental aspects required for nano/micro carriers, including compatibility with the coating matrix, high specific surface area, stability in different environments, stimuli-responsive behavior, and facile synthesis were investigated. To achieve this aim, we explored the properties of micro/nanocarriers based on oxide nanoparticles, carbonaceous and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. Finally, we reviewed recent literature on the application of state-of the art nanocarriers based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). We believe that the outcomes of this review paper offer valuable insights for researchers in selecting appropriate materials that can effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of coatings.

Corrosion Resistance of CeO2-GO/Epoxy Nanocomposite Coating in Simulated Seawater and Concrete Pore Solutions

Reinforced concrete structures in the marine environment face serious corrosion risks. Coating protection and adding corrosion inhibitors are the most economical and effective methods. In this study, a nano-composite anti-corrosion filler with a mass ratio of CeO₂:GO = 4:1 was prepared by hydrothermally growing cerium oxide on the surface of graphene oxide. The filler was mixed with pure epoxy resin at a mass fraction of 0.5% to prepare a nano-composite epoxy coating. The basic properties of the prepared coating were evaluated from the aspects of surface hardness, adhesion grade, and anti-corrosion performance on Q235 low carbon steel subjected to simulated seawater and simulated concrete pore solutions. Results showed that after 90 days of service, the corrosion current density of the nanocomposite coating mixed with corrosion inhibitor was the lowest (I_corr = 1.001 × 10^-9 A/cm²), and the protection efficiency was up to 99.92%. This study provides a theoretical foundation for solving the corrosion problem of Q235 low carbon steel in the marine environment.

Studies on the Stability and Deactivation Mechanism of Immobilized Ionic Liquids in Catalytic Esterification Reactions

Solid-supported ionic liquid catalysts (SILs) are the simplest form of a heterogenized ionic liquid and have attracted soaring attention because of the high catalytic activity as well as separation. Unfortunately, instability severely hinders their practical application, and the reason for the deactivation of SILs has not been investigated in detail. In the present study, the immobilized ionic liquid catalysts MIL-101-[IA-SO₃H][HSO₄] and MIL-101-[IA-COOH][HSO₄] were prepared and used to study the stability in the esterification reaction. The results show that compared with MIL-101-[IA-COOH][HSO₄], MIL-101-[IA-SO₃H][HSO₄] has a higher catalytic activity and a lower stability. The deactivation mechanism is discussed based on experiments and theoretical analysis: the protons on -SO₃H dissociate in a polar solvent and combine with anion HSO₄^-, and then, the formative H₂SO₄ molecule will leach out into the solvent. Our discussion indicates that the stability of immobilized ionic liquids is determined by the substituents of ionic liquid cations and becomes the significant factor controlling the stability limits. The study presented here would be important for understanding the deactivation reason and can help in choosing the suitable cation to avoid leaching of the active site during the reaction.

Carbon-encapsulated core-shell structure ZnFe2O4 sphere composites coupled with excellent microwave absorption and corrosion resistance

Microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) have been identified as an efficient means to solve major electromagnetic pollution problems. Current core-shell composite MAMs are fabricated as single magnetic cores with dielectric shells, yielding decreased magnetic couplings and impedance mismatches. Herein, carbon shell encapsulated core-shell structured zinc ferrate (ZnFe₂O₄) sphere composites (CSZF@C) were fabricated using a hydrothermal method and subsequent carbonisation process. The complex permittivity and complex permeability of CSZF@C can be effectively adjusted by varying the parameters of the outer carbon shell. The synergistic effect of carbon shell and inner core-shell structured ZnFe₂O₄ (CSZF) not only meets impedance matching but also improves electromagnetic energy loss, a result of the unique microstructure. CSZF@C-1 exhibited a considerable reflection loss (RL) of -53.5 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of up to 6.56 GHz, the thickness is only 2.94 mm. Meanwhile, the epoxy resin coating of CSZF@C-1 substantially increases the corrosion resistance of the metal substrate owing to carbon encapsulation. This study presents new ideas for designing efficient multifunctional nanocomposites with high microwave absorption and corrosion resistance.

Rising of MXenes: Novel 2D-functionalized nanomaterials as a new milestone in corrosion science - a critical review

Corrosion is a natural process between a metal and its environment that can gradually cause catastrophic damage to the metal equipment, which would have economic implications. Consequently, several protective methods have been utilized to prevent metals from severe degradation. Organic polymeric coatings have been widely used as the most convenient and cost-effective method to boost metals' anti-corrosion properties. Nonetheless, these coatings have a significant amount of solvent, resulting in shrinkage and micro defects in the films during the curing process. Many studies have verified that transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) can form a "labyrinth effect" in the polymeric coatings due to their "nano-barrier effect". Furthermore, based on their sheet-like structures, they can considerably cover the surface defects of the polymeric films. Therefore, the penetration of corrosive elements can be substantially curbed. It is the first review that specifically focused on the new family of 2D nanomaterials, i.e., MXenes, and discussed their applications in corrosion protection systems. The MXenes' pros and cons in the polymeric matrixes as nanofillers will be clarified. Moreover, the synthesis and functionalization methods of the MXenes, their applications, and corrosion protection mechanism will be explored. Subsequently, the MXenes' superiority over other 2D nanomaterials will be highlighted while their future perspectives and industrial applications will be predicted.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as multifunctional nanoplatform for anticorrosion surfaces and coatings

Corrosion of metallic materials is a long-standing problem in many engineering fields. Various organic coatings have been widely applied in anticorrosion of metallic materials over the past decades. However, the protective performance of many organic coatings is limited due to the undesirable local failure of the coatings caused by micro-pores and cracks in the coating matrix. Recently, metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-based surfaces and coatings (MOFBSCs) have exhibited great potential in constructing protective materials on metallic substrates with efficient and durable anticorrosion performance. The tailorable porous structure, flexible composition, numerous active sites, and controllable release properties of MOFs make them an ideal platform for developing various protective functionalities, such as self-healing property, superhydrophobicity, and physical barrier against corrosion media. MOFs-based anticorrosion surfaces and coatings can be divided into two categories: the composite surfaces/coatings using MOFs-based passive/active nanofillers and the surfaces/coatings using MOFs as functional substrate support. In this work, the state-of-the-art fabrication strategies of the MOFBSCs are systematically reviewed. The anticorrosion mechanisms of MOFBSCs and functions of the MOFs in the coating matrix are discussed accordingly. Additionally, we highlight both traditional and emerging electrochemical techniques for probing protective performances and mechanisms of MOFBSCs. The remaining challenging issues and perspectives are also discussed.

Double-Ligand Strategy to Construct an Inhibitor-Loaded Zn-MOF and Its Corrosion Protection Ability for Aluminum Alloy 2A12

A promising double-ligand strategy for the delivery of active corrosion inhibitors by a Zn(II)-based metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF) is developed. Zn-MOF compounds were synthesized by a facile one-pot solvothermal method and characterized. The Zn-MOF is based on the corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole (BTA) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (H₂FDA) ligand, which is a promising renewable building block alternative to terephthalic or isophthalic acid. The crystal structure and morphology are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, powder X-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The synthesized MOF crystallites are in the trigonal space group R3c with the cell parameters in a three-dimensional (3D) anionic framework. Their ability to inhibit the corrosion process of aluminum alloy 2A12 in NaCl solution was also evaluated by immersion tests in solutions with and without a MOF. The postcorrosion analysis was performed by SEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Additional information about the inhibition efficiency was obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results suggest that the as-synthesized MOF can release the inhibitors and form protective layers effectively on the surface of the aluminum alloy. The use of inhibitor-loaded MOF nanocontainers provides promising opportunities for the smart delivery of inhibitors and effective corrosion protection of 2A12 aluminum alloys.

Conducting polymers: a comprehensive review on recent advances in synthesis, properties and applications

Conducting polymers are extensively studied due to their outstanding properties, including tunable electrical property, optical and high mechanical properties, easy synthesis and effortless fabrication and high environmental stability over conventional inorganic materials. Although conducting polymers have a lot of limitations in their pristine form, hybridization with other materials overcomes these limitations. The synergetic effects of conducting polymer composites give them wide applications in electrical, electronics and optoelectronic fields. An in-depth analysis of composites of conducting polymers with carbonaceous materials, metal oxides, transition metals and transition metal dichalcogenides etc. is used to study them effectively. Here in this review we seek to describe the transport models which help to explain the conduction mechanism, relevant synthesis approaches, and physical properties, including electrical, optical and mechanical properties. Recent developments in their applications in the fields of energy storage, photocatalysis, anti-corrosion coatings, biomedical applications and sensing applications are also explained. Structural properties play an important role in the performance of the composites.

An in situ approach to functionalize metal–organic frameworks with tertiary aliphatic amino groups

Tertiary aliphatic amino modified UiO-67/66(Zr), IRMOF-n(Zn) and MIL-101(Fe) were synthesized by a facile and efficient one-pot strategy under the corresponding metal catalysis.