Fabrication of 1D graphene nanoribbon and malenized linseed oil-based nanocomposite: a highly impervious bio-based anti-corrosion coating material for mild steel

Graphene nanoribbon (GNR) is a flat ribbon-like 1D nanomaterial of graphene family rarely explored in the development of anti-corrosion coatings. In the present work, a bio-based anti-corrosion coating was fabricated using GNR as nanofiller in malenized linseed oil (MLO) polymer network. MLO polymer network was first prepared from commercially available linseed oil by malenization reaction at 80 °C using maleic anhydride. Later, GNR was synthesized from multiwalled carbon nanotube by oxidative unzipping method and incorporated into MLO polymer network to obtain the bio-based MLO–GNR nanocomposite. The as-prepared MLO and MLO–GNR coating materials were spin coated onto bare mild steel samples and cured at 80 °C for 24 h. The morphology and surface characteristics of coatings were studied by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Further, the anti-corrosion behaviour of bare and coated MS samples was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance methods in a 3.5% NaCl medium. Among the samples, MLO–GNR-coated samples exhibited a high level of corrosion inhibition in the saline medium compared to uncoated MS sample as the damages and destruction activity were more on its surface than their counterparts. MLO–GNR nanocomposite coating exhibited robust corrosion resistance activity and showed 99.9% protection efficiency. Further, the MLO–GNR coating displayed higher stability in the saline medium as well as open-air environment establishing that the flat GNR molecule acts as excellent nanofiller in MLO polymer network to produce robust anti-corrosion activity leading to protection of mild steel. Graphical abstract