Enhancing the barrier effect of sol-gel derived inorganic coating by doping h-BN nanosheet

Nanocomposites filled with impermeable two-dimensional materials are of specific interest for protecting metal from corrosion. The addition hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) into a coating matrix can improve the barrier effect virtually due to its high chemical and thermal stability dielectric property. This atom-level thick filler involves «tortured pathway» that prolongs penetration distance substrate. In this study, BNNS was added zirconium prepared via sol-gel way. order understand influence nanosheets size on performance, three h-BN grades were used. It intended keep all other elaboration parameters constant so electrochemical behavior variation is mainly attributed size. morphology microstructure flakes in different exfoliation level nanocomposite studied by SEM, HRTEM, SAED, FTIR cartography, Raman spectroscopy. Meanwhile, corrosion resistance composite coatings characterized polarization test long-term impedance spectroscopy 3.5 wt% NaCl solution.