Corrosion studies of stainless steel protected by a TiO2 thin film deposited on a sulfonate-functionalized self-assembled monolayer

Thioacetate hexadecyltrimethoxysilane was deposited on SiO2-coated stainless steel to form a thioacetate-functionalized monolayer. In situ oxidation of the thioacetate yielded a sulfionate-functionalized monolayer. Solution deposition of TiO2 on this monolayer covered the stainless steel with a thin layer of the metal oxide (5-10 nm). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and potentiostatic current transient demonstrated the efficiency of the corrosion protection in sodium chloride media, including protection against pitting corrosion. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.