Polyaniline/TiO<sub>2</sub>/MXene Ternary Composites\nfor Enhancing Corrosion Resistance of Waterborne Epoxy Coatings

Waterborne\nepoxy (WEP) coatings are employed frequently\nin modern\nindustry to prevent metals from corrosion. However, the resistance\nof pure WEP is not sufficient for the application requirements, so\none or many kinds of fillers are utilized to improve the corrosion\nprotection of WEP coatings. In this study, PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub>/MXene\nternary composites were prepared by synchronous in situ synthesis\nand loading of polyaniline (PANI) rods and TiO<sub>2</sub> particles\nonto MXene via a hydrothermal process and incorporated into WEP coatings\nas an anticorrosive filler. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy\n(EIS), acid and base resistance tests, and salt spray tests revealed\nthe excellent anticorrosion property of PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub>/MXene/WEP.\nEIS revealed an impedance modulus of 9.84 × 10<sup>9</sup> Ω·cm<sup>2</sup>, and the salt spray protection time exceeded 30 days. This\nsuperior performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of\nthe physical shielding of MXene, the passivation of PANI and the photocathodic\nprotection of TiO<sub>2</sub>. This paper provides a methodology and\nideas for the synthesizing and utilizing MXene derivatives and composites\nin WEP coatings for corrosion protection.