Corrosion behavior of super-hydrophobic surface on copper in seawater

A novel super-hydrophobic film was prepared by myristic acid (n-tetradecanoic) chemically adsorbed onto the copper wafer. The film formation and its structure were characterized by means of water contact angle measurement, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FIFIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The static contact angle for water on the surface of this organic film was measured to be as high as 158 degrees. The formation of a composite interface composed of the flower-like surface nanostructures, water droplet and air trapped in the crevices was suggested to be responsible for the superior water-repellent property. The corrosion behavior of the super-hydrophobic surface was investigated with potentiodynamic polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Due to the 'air valleys' and 'capillarity' effects, the corrosion resistance of the material was improved remarkably. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.