Corrosion Protection with Ultrathin Graphene Coatings:a Review

Developments in surface treatment or finishing, and modification of structural metals have probably never been so dynamic than in recent years due to the need for new approaches to efficient corrosion protection. The application of coatings is a strategy to be followed to physically separate corrosive environments from metal surfaces. The overall protection efficiency depends on the coating’s barrier properties. Traditional alternatives to coating suffer from inefficient physical protection in cases of low film thicknesses and at elevated temperatures. One of the most advanced options is to apply ultrathin atomic films to ensure complete separation of the metallic surface from the fluid media. Among the numerous materials and methods, exceptional chemical resistance and high domain size make graphene a promising candidate for constituting ultrathin coatings with interfacial atomic layers adherent and homogeneous coverage to feature firm barrier behaviour. This review focuses on the major efforts with notable results and points out some short comings that must be resolved to serve as a basis for further progress in this field.