The Synergistic Effect of Graphene Oxide in Epoxy Resin on Photocured Coating Films with Anticorrosion and Antibacterial Properties

Abstract In this work, graphene oxide (GO) and epoxy‐functionalized graphene oxide (GOSi) are chosen as additives and incorporated into epoxy resin (EP) for nanocomposite photo‐coating films (GO/EP and GOSi/EP series). Compared to GO/EP, the GOSi/EP nanocomposite demonstrates strong binding and excellent dispersibility, highlighting covalent bonding between GOSi and the epoxy coating. Furthermore, GOSi/EP‐based films demonstrated superior thermal stability and adhesion performance on galvanized steel plates. The corrosion performance of the coated galvanized steel is investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization curve analysis (Tafel). The effectiveness of corrosion protection is evaluated based on a combination of photoreactivity, crosslinking density, dispersity, and adhesion properties. Out of all the treated films, the film based on 0.1GOSi/EP exhibited the highest percentage of inhibition (98.89%) and demonstrated superior long‐term anticorrosion stability. In addition, the 0.1GOSi/EP based formulation showed remarkable antibacterial activity against S. aureus , resulting in a 92% reduction. This work demonstrates the development of a facile, environmentally friendly functionalized graphene oxide/epoxy photocured film with superior dual functionalities in both anticorrosion and antibacterial properties. These advancements hold promising potential for impactful practical applications.