Perfluorinated polysiloxane hybridized with graphene oxide for corrosion inhibition of AZ31 magnesium alloy

•Perfluorinated polysiloxane (PPFS) was hybridized with graphene oxide (GO).•The composite (PPFS/GO) was used as a corrosion inhibitor for AZ31 Mg alloy.•Complete coverage by the hydrophobic layer contributed to protection.•PPFS/GO showed good adhesion to AZ31 without the need for surface-pretreatment.•PPFS/GO coating resulted in substantial improvement in protection.

Perfluorinated polysiloxane [-(SiR1R2-O)n-, where R1 is -OH and R2 is -CH2)2-(CF2)5-CF3], was synthesized from 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES) and hybridized with graphene oxide (GO). The composite (PPFS/GO) was applied to AZ31 Mg alloy for corrosion protection in NaCl. Efficient inhibition by PPFS/GO was realized due to a synergistic effect via the remnant hydrophobic-properties of PFOTES and the high surface area of GO. The polymeric nature of PPFS also contributed to the strong adhesion between the coating layer and AZ31, making this work different to most previous reports where the Mg surface was pretreated before coating.

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