α-Mn2O3-catalyzed adsorption reaction of benzotriazole for “smart” corrosion protection of copper

Nanostructured α-Mn2O3 was synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal method. The synthesized α-Mn2O3 was then added to epoxy coating to serve as a catalyst, which could promote the reaction between benzotriazole (BTA) and copper. Comparative experiments showed that the formation rate of protective film on copper substrate tripled when α-Mn2O3 was added. Such an improvement was supposed to be associated with the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity of α-Mn2O3 and the Schottky contact fabricated at the metal/semiconductor interface. A possible mechanism was also presented to interpret the observed catalytic property of α-Mn2O3. Adding catalysts to the coating matrix might be a meaningful strategy for developing fast response, high efficient and long lifetime feedback active coatings (FACs).