Self-healing corrosion-resistant epoxy based coatings with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole loaded mesoporous silica microspheres through a one-step process

• 2-MBT was loaded into the mesoporous silica by a one-step process. • 2-MBT@MSP was responsive to low pH and released 2-MBT. • 2-MBT@MSP provided active corrosion protection for epoxy coatings. This study reports the synthesis of mesoporous silica microspheres (MSP) loaded with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT) through a one-step process. The synthesized 2-MBT@MSP microspheres exhibit an average diameter of approximately 800 nm and a loading rate of 4.5 wt.% 2-MBT. Those microspheres were incorporated into an epoxy matrix to create a corrosion-resistant coating upon AA2024-T3 substrates. Corrosion protection performance of the coatings was evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and salt spray tests, revealing the optimal concentration (2 wt.%) of 2-MBT@MSP for enhanced corrosion resistance. R ct of the scratched coating with 2 wt.% 2-MBT@MSP is nearly 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of the blank epoxy coating after 30 d of immersion. This study offers a streamlined approach for fabricating mesoporous silica-based corrosion inhibitor delivery systems, providing a viable way for the development of smart anti-corrosion coatings.