Polybithiophene and its bilayers with polyaniline coatings on stainless steel by electropolymerization in aqueous medium

For the first time, electrosynthesis of polybithiophene (PBTh) and its bilayers with polyaniline (PAni) coatings on stainless steel (SS) in aqueous oxalic acid solutions containing monomer and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was carried out by potentiodynamic synthesis technique. Smooth and adherent films were obtained on the steel surfaces. Homopolymers and bilayers were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, FTIR, UV-vis spectroscopies and SEM. Homopolymers were also characterized by means of conductivity and the number average molecular weight measurements. The effects of the scanning potential limits on electrosynthesis of PBTh and its bilayer coatings were investigated. The test for corrosion protection of the polymer coated and uncoated SS substrates were performed in highly aggressive 0.5 M NaCl and 0.5 M HCl solutions by linear potentiodynamic polarization and Tafel test technique, respectively. Corrosion test revealed that among the protective coatings obtained, PBTh as homopolymer and PAni/PBTh as bilayer exhibited the most effective anticorrosive properties. According to linear potendynamic polarization test, the dissolution current of these coatings at 1.6 V decreased to 99.8% and 99.6% in NaCl solution, respectively, when compared to that of uncoated SS surfaces.