Enhancing Corrosion Inhibition Performance of ZnO Solid Solution by Doping Variable-Valence Rare-Earth Element Cerium

Abstract

Mixed-valence element-doped compounds have attracted great interest due to their unique chemical properties. Here, mixed-valence cerium-doped zinc-oxide solid solution (ZCOSS) material with a single-port hollow columnar structure was prepared under inorganic aqueous conditions, which could effectively inhibit the oxygen-absorbing corrosion of the metal. As a result of the synergistic valence cycling effect of variable-valence cerium and the molecule of zinc oxide and the adsorption effect of the hollow columnar structure, the corrosive environment was hypoxic, the charge transfer was hindered, and the generation of corrosion product was limited. In addition, the doping of cerium changed the energy band structure of the zinc oxide material, making it possible for photoelectrochemical cathodic protection of steels. Thus, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the ZCOSS composite system is approximately 14 times that of epoxy resin and 5.5 times that of the ZnO composite system.