CeO2 grafted carbon nanotube via polydopamine wrapping to enhance corrosion barrier of polyurethane coating

CeO2 nanoparticles grafted on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with polydopamine (PDA) as interface layer (CeO2-PDA-CNTs) were prepared and dispersed into polyurethane (PU) to enhance the corrosion barrier of PU coating. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), wire beam electrode (WBE) technique and surface characterization demonstrate that CeO2-PDA-CNTs/PU composite coating significantly possesses the better corrosion and permeation resistance than other PU-based coatings. The barrier performance of the composite coating is mainly ascribed to the sandwiched CeO2-PDA-CNTs nanostructure, which achieves synergistic effect between the corrosion inhibition of CeO2 and the bonding strength reinforcement and permeation pathway twist due to PDA wrapped CNTs.