Electrochemical study of corrosion behavior of graphene coatings on copper and aluminum in a chloride solution

Electrochemical characteristics and corrosion behavior of graphene coatings on Cu and Al in a 0.1 M NaCl solution were investigated. The graphene coatings were deposited on a Cu surface by chemical vapor deposition. Multiple graphene layers were then mechanically transferred from the growth substrate, Cu, onto Al surface by a transfer technique. The corrosion stability of graphene coatings was determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open circuit potential, while the corrosion rate was evaluated using potentiodynamic sweep measurements. Surface morphologies of the graphene coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Obtained results indicate that Cu coated with graphene grown using chemical vapor deposition shows corrosion-inhibiting properties in 0.1 M NaCl. On the other hand, Al coated with a multilayer graphene film mechanically transferred from the Cu surface exhibits electrochemical characteristics similar to an Al oxide on bare Al. Better protective properties of graphene coating on Cu compared to the graphene coating on Al were observed, probably due to the breakage of Al oxide film, causing the corrosion of Al to proceed rapidly in the presence of chloride electrolyte.