Fabrication of bioinspired SnO2/Few layered rGO nanocomposite coating for preserving Zn metal assets in various environments

Abstract

The current study inspected the effect of incorporating two nanomaterials, namely reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Tin oxide (SnO2), synthesized by hydrothermal method, upon improving the corrosion resistance in Zinc metal plate under different electrolytes. The XRD results confirms the formation of SnO2 nanoparticles with a crystalline tetragonal structure with 23.1 and 31.89 nm crystalline size. FE-SEM images indicated that the rGO is well embedded into the SnO2 nanoparticles. The TEM images and elemental mapping show the presence of crystalline nanoparticles embedded within the layers of graphene. In addition, the corrosion resistance of both pure SnO2 and SnO2-rGO nanocomposite is assessed using electrochemical techniques. The substrate coated with nanocomposite is exposed to three distinct electrolytes utilizing a Zn metal plate. Adding reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to the composite material creates a barrier that protects against corrosion and improves the charge transfer efficiency, resulting in lower corrosion rates and increased stability. The composite's combined impact of SnO2 and rGO provides exceptional corrosion resistance and the findings lead to the development of innovative and efficient ways to prevent corrosion, thereby ensuring materials' long-lasting and dependable performance in various industrial settings.