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 sulfonate-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.