In situ preparation of graphene/polypyrrole nanocomposite via electrochemical co-deposition methodology for anti-corrosion application

Graphene has attracted much attention and triggered extensive anti-corrosion applications due to its excellent electrochemical stability and robust barrier for molecules and ions. In this paper, a novel polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide (PPy/rGO) nanocomposite was successfully prepared on carbon steel as an efficient protective coating for improving the anti-corrosion property. Graphene oxide (GO) was deposited onto carbon steel via potentiostatic technique, and PPy was obtained simultaneously by oxidation polymerization. Scanning cyclic voltammetry method was adopted to reduce GO into rGO to form PPy/rGO nanocomposite coating. Due to the synergistic effect of PPy and rGO, excellent anti-corrosion performance for carbon steel in simulated seawater was obtained. Impressively, the PPy/rGO-coated carbon steel showed 7.05 times higher corrosion resistance than that of bare carbon steel and revealed the excellent protection efficiency above 95.9%. The anti-corrosion mechanism of the PPy/rGO coating was also proposed. Our results suggested that the PPy/rGO composite coatings could serve as effectively protectors for anti-corrosion of seawater, therefore, they could envision potential applications in naval architecture and ocean engineering.