The Rise of Mesoporous Silica Nanocontainers in the Realm of Stimuli Responsive Smart Anticorrosive Coatings: Cutting‐Edge Innovations in Advanced Metal Protection

The unique attributes and widespread applications of mesoporous silica nanocontainers (MSNs) have made them a cornerstone of modern materials science. The ability of MSNs to provide a tailored, stimuli–responsive surface for on‐demand release of corrosion inhibitors is a major research frontier in the realm of smart anticorrosion coatings. The present review article offers a concise overview of the effective barrier properties of MSN‐based stimuli–responsive smart anticorrosive coatings (MSSACs), emphasizing the use of “smart gatekeepers” like polyelectrolytes, organic acrylates, organosilanes, metal chelates, supramolecules, MXene, metal organic frameworks, inorganic oxides, graphene, and its derivatives to engineer the MSN surfaces. This article provides a detailed overview of how these smart systems can be triggered in response to external stimuli, i.e., pH, redox potential, ion concentration, irradiation, temperature to enable the controlled release of the active corrosion inhibitors. This paper aims to provide new enlightenments and prospects in effective and prolonged surface protection using MSSACs, thereby guiding future research directions in the development of innovative surface protection technologies.