Sol-gel Spin-coated SiO2 Multilayers for Anticorrosion Applications
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 15, No 3 (September 2026) pp. 11-17
Abstract
A silicon dioxide (SiO2) film protects steel or other metals by acting as a highly dense, impermeable barrier against corrosive agents. SiO2 thin-film coatings are widely used for their superior performance and economic benefits. In this work, a sol-gel-synthesized and spin-coated SiO2 thin film was deposited on mild steel, which was calcined at 300°C. The prepared thin films were examined for their optical, structural, functional, morphological, elemental, and corrosion properties using XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and EIS. The XRD spectrum revealed sharp, narrow diffraction peaks, confirming the quality of the crystallite-nature enhancement induced on the mild steel surface. In addition, sharp diffraction peaks confirmed the presence of SiO2 and the formation of an ultrafine crystal structure on the mild steel. FTIR transmittance spectrum shows the stretching vibration modes of the primary material, Si-O-Si, between 927 and 439 cm-1. The surface morphology of the prepared multilayer thin films was examined using SEM, whereas the EDX spectrum indicated the presence of Si and O. Finally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is useful for evaluating strong anticorrosion properties. In future, the anticorrosion property can be studied by using TiO2, ZrO, and SiO2/TiO2 etc.
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Reference
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