Use of nanostructured materials in marine corrosion protection: an integrated approach

摘要

The application of coatings for protection of metallic structures in offshore structures deals with two main, inter-related issues: corrosion and (bio)fouling.One of the most recent strategies to impart anticorrosion functionality to organic coatings has consisted of encapsulation/intercalation of corrosion inhibitors and biocides into the so-called “smart” micro and nanocontainers, structures that store the active species and release them under certain stimuli.In this work, we synthesized and characterized different nanostructured inorganic materials (Figure 1) containing an organic corrosion inhibitor also known for its biological activity, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT). The corrosion protection of these systems was investigated by electrochemical techniques and the biological activity assessed using a bioluminescent assay.The safety of nanomaterials and its life cycle is also a relevant aspect when including novel additives into commercial products. Therefore, the toxicity of these materials was assessed using the edible Manila clam (Venerupis philippinarum), throughout a wide set of physiological and biochemical parameters.The main objective is to obtain an integrated overview of the performance provided by MBT-loaded nanocontainers and to assess the impact of these materials in the marine ecosystem.