Microtribological and electrochemical corrosion behaviors of polydopamine coating on APTS-SAM modified Si substrate

A polydopamine coating (coded as PDAc) was prepared successfully on a Si substrate through a two-step process. Briefly, to improve the adhesion of PDAc on the Si substrate, a self-assembled monolayer of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (coded as APTS-SAM) was firstly generated on the bare Si wafer. Thereafter, the PDAc with different thickness was fabricated through the chemical adsorption and autopolymerization of the dopamine hydrochloride on the APTS-SAM coated Si substrate. The formation of PDAc on the APTS-SAM modified Si substrate was proved by the characterizations of contact angle measurement, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), etc. The ellipsometric thickness measurement and atomic force microscopy (AFM) image analysis showed that the PDAc became thicker and rougher with the deposition time prolongation. Microtribological study showed that the thickness and roughness of the PDAc played a significant role in the tribological properties. In comparison with the bare Si substrate, the PDAc with thinner thickness possessed lower friction and was anticipated to be used as protecting coating in the field of boundary lubrication. The electrochemical corrosion behaviors of the prepared PDAc were investigated using the electrochemical station and a low corrosion current density was revealed, implying that the PDAc had good anti-corrosion capability and might find potential applications in the field of corrosion resistance.