State of the art and current trends on layered inorganic-polymer nanocomposite coatings for anticorrosion and multi-functional applications

This review highlights the most important advances in the development and manufacture of advanced hybrid polymer-inorganic layered anticorrosion coatings for marine applications. These newly hybrid anticorrosion systems are gaining importance with the premise to improve the efficiency of the widely employed pure organic coatings, while widening the available types of polymeric materials employed. These could give rise to innovative high protective coatings with improved characteristics (mechanical strength, conductivity, biodegradability) or secondary functionalities (self-healing, anti-fouling). Through this document, four aspects are mainly overviewed, first, the use of 2D-layered inorganic fillers in coatings based on a barrier-type protection anticorrosion mechanism, with a special focus on graphene and its derivatives. Second, different modification strategies are presented, including covalent and non-covalent, always aiming to increase the compatibility between filler and matrix that would give as a result more efficient systems, due to 2D-layered fillers biggest drawback, their tendency to agglomerate. Third, different multi-functionalizing opportunities that graphene and its derivatives have to offer when introduced to these systems are reviewed, presenting some of the latest works reported in the past 2 to 3 years, while reviewing alternative layered structures such as natural clays or layered double hydroxides with their modifications. Fourth, different possibilities for multifunctioning these systems and their compatibility with graphene-like fillers are discussed. Finally, the conclusions and future perspectives on graphene-based anticorrosion nanocomposites are presented. •Polymer-layered inorganic composites may improve the anti-corrosion barrier effect.•Graphene, a bidimensional stable, impermeable filler, as candidate in novel paints.•Anti-corrosion efficiency of traditional fillers may be improved.•Self-healing coatings with improved lifespans avoid periodical maintenance duties.•Smart, multifunctional, anti-corrosion coatings with widen application spectra.