Hybrid Materials Based on ZnO Nanoparticles and Organo-Modified Silica Coatings as Eco-Friendly Anticorrosive Protection for Metallic Historic Artifacts

Cultural heritage metallic artifacts are often subjected to environmental factors that promote degradation through corrosion processes. Anticorrosion protection is needed both for the long-term preservation of outdoor monuments and short-term conservation archaeological artifacts. In this work, functional nanocoatings based on ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in a silica matrix prepared as replacement commercial Incralac lacquer. Facile sol–gel synthesis employed obtaining filmogenic materials, using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) 3-glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS). Silica-based nanocomposite coatings, with without NPs benzotriazole (BTA) anticorrosion agents, applied copper coupons by brushing characterized VIS FTIR spectroscopy, SEM AFM compared lacquer reference materials. The optical morphological properties proposed coatings similar specimens. protective effect against investigated model objects test potentiodynamic polarization 3.5% NaCl solution at ambient temperature. influence presence BTA studied, variations anticorrosive, concentration evidenced. moderate concentrations nanomaterials leads changes color parameters slightly above limit accepted field cultural (ΔE* 5.09 6.13), while high 3% higher values > 10). Regarding anticorrosive effect, silica-based present efficiencies material (corrosion rates range 0.044–0.067 mm/year 0.055 Incralac).