New organic metal nanostructures developed for anti-corrosion coating

The Marine Functional Materials Group led by Prof. Wang Liping at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has successfully prepared ultra-thin organic metal structure (MOF) nanosheets via bottom surfactant assisted -up method.

The developed two-dimensional (2-D) MOF nanosheets improved the anti-corrosion properties of composite coatings. This study was published in Corrosion Science.

As a vital offshoot of 2-D material, organic structural material has aroused increasing interest. However, water poses a serious threat to its structure, which significantly affects the stability of the material in the protective field of the metal.

To address this problem, NIMTE’s research team synthesized MOF nanosheets with excellent water stability, by virtue of the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a surfactant to achieve pre-assembly and coordination between Cu₂⁺ porphyrin ions and ligands.

The obtained ultrathin nanosheets, with a thickness of 1 ~ 3nm, showed a more uniform scale and a higher yield (57%) than those prepared by traditional liquid exfoliation methods.

Furthermore, 2-D MOF synthesized nanofillers have been applied as thermosetting epoxy nanofillers to improve its barrier performance against corrosive media. Measurement results indicated that the prepared nanosheets can effectively prevent water permeation, thereby significantly improving the anticorrosive properties of coatings for a wider range of practical applications.

This work paves the way for the research and development of materials and devices in relevant sectors, such as photocatalysis and gas separation.