Graphene-Based Anti-Corrosion Coatings: Performance and Mechanisms

It’s been a decade since graphene, the pioneering 2D material, was introduced as the thinnest coating for corrosion protection of metals. The chemical inertness, mechanical strength, structural flexibility, impermeability to gas, ions, and water vapour as well as the conductive nature of graphene make this atomically thin material an attractive candidate for corrosion protection of metals. Besides chemical vapour deposition, graphene derivatives (e.g. pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and functionalized graphene oxide) in the form of inks/paints, composites with polymer/metals have been investigated for anti-corrosion application. This chapter covers multiple mechanisms of graphene-based coatings and their anti-corrosion performance.