Sonochemical Approach of Highly Thermal, Mechanical, and Corrosion Inhibition Performance of Metal–Organic Framework (ZIF‐8)‐Decorated Waterborne Polyurethane Nanocomposite

Herein, highly porous metal–organic framework (ZIF‐8)‐decorated environmental friendly waterborne polyurethane (WPU) (ZIF‐8@WPU) nanocomposites via facile sonochemical technique are synthesized. The ZIF‐8@WPU shows threefold excellent mechanical performance (tensile strength ≈23 MPa and elongation 670%) at a very low 2.5 wt% filler loading compared to pristine WPU. In addition, the synthesized ZIF‐8@WPU exhibits high thermal stability and water vapor permeability properties with increasing nanofiller concentration. Interestingly, the incorporation of ZIF‐8 into WPU potentially improves the corrosion inhibition performance with a superior corrosion rate (υcorr) 1.7 × 10−2 mm year−1 and ≈94% protection efficiency (PE) at lower filler (2.5 wt%) loading, attributing to the facile synthesis methods, internal structural arrangement, well interaction of filler and matrix, high surface area, and tuneable pore size of filler material. The crystallinity of ZIF‐8 and ZIF‐8@WPU is analyzed by powder X‐ray diffraction, morphology by scanning electron microscopy, thermal properties by thermogravimetric analysis, and mechanical properties by the universal testing machine. This new insight has potential toward the green approach for synthesizing and structural engineering high‐performance advanced nanocomposites in the coating, breathable devices, and food packaging industrial utilization. ZIF‐8 grafted waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites (ZIF‐8/WPU) are synthesized by the facile sonochemical method. The multifold mechanical and thermal properties of the pristine WPU are optimized by different ZIF‐8 filler loading. Interestingly, ZIF‐8/WPU exhibits potential corrosion inhibition performance. This finding reveals that the facile synthesis approach with excellent filler and matrix interaction guides next‐generation nanocomposite engineering and industrial applications.