Visually monitoring of wear damage and interfacial corrosion in lubricant coating enabled by MXene@Rhodamine B fluorophores

Wear microcracks and corrosion are inescapable for marine equipment thus resulting in operational issues, lifespan reduction and even catastrophic failures. Despite significant research has been conducted in anti-wear and corrosion resistant coatings, simultaneous achieving wear-resistant, anticorrosive and visual monitoring of wear damage and corrosion pits remains a significant challenge. Herein, we propose a novel strategy for in-situ and real-time visualization of wear cracks and interfacial corrosion in lubricant coating by utilizing MXene@Rhodamine B (MXene@RhB) fluorescent probes. Through strategic engineering of fluorophores and polyurea networks, conspicuous fluorescence intensification is observed at wear and damaged area, not only immediately upon occurrence but also accompanied with crack propagation. Besides, the precise ion recognition and coordination property of RhB with Fe 3+ brings about distinct fluorescence quenching, enabling visual monitoring of coating wear degradation and interfacial corrosion failure. Moreover, the imbedding of layered MXene significantly improved the tribological performance of composite coating with reduced friction and wear rate. Furthermore, electrochemical investigations revealed that the electrolytes intrusion and steel corrosion reactivity were greatly inhibited through forming numerous shielding layers. The ingenious integration of fluorescent motifs and lubricating units contributes to the development of novel protective coatings, providing reliable strategy for coating lubrication and real-time wear monitoring.