Improved anticorrosion performance of mixed valence Mn-modified ZnO dilute magnetic solid solution with multilevel self-assembled network structure

The design and performance prediction of efficient anticorrosion materials is a work full of value, novelty, and challenges. In this work, from the perspective of nanostructure and composition, ZnO-based dilute magnetic solid solution (DMSs) with hydrophobic micronano network structure was synthesized through the self-induced effect of raw materials, the impact-resistant network structure, complex micro-channels, and densely nested layers resisted electrolyte intrusion. Further, the doping of mixed valence Mn element endowed the solid solution with dilute magnetic properties, so the Lorentz force from micromagnetic field changed the movement path of electrons produced by the anode reaction to improve the corrosion inhibition ability of the protective layer. Under the synergy of morphology and magnetism, the corrosion resistance of the DMSs materials was 555.4% and 173.8% higher than that of epoxy resin and ZnO shielding layer, respectively. Besides, a valuable phenomenon was found that the photocatalytic property of DMSs materials was positively correlated with their corrosive defense. In conclusion, this research provided a novel design idea for new high-efficiency anticorrosion materials.