Fractal polyzirconosiloxane (PZS) cluster films were prepared through the hydrolysis-polycondensation-pyrolysis synthesis of two-step HCl acid-NaOH base catalyzed sol precursors consisting of N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazole, Zr(OC(sub 3)H(sub 7))(sub 4), methanol, and water. When amorphous PZSs were applied to aluminum as protective coatings against NaCl-induced corrosion, the effective film was that derived from the sol having a pH near the isoelectric point in the positive zeta potential region. The following four factors played an important role in assembling the protective PZS coating films: (1) a proper rate of condensation, (2) a moderate ratio of Si-O-Si to Si-O-Zr linkages formed in the PZS network, (3) hydrophobic characteristics, and (4) a specific microstructural geometry, in which large fractal clusters were linked together.
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