A facile one-step route to fabricate bio-inspired superhydrophobic matrix with high corrosion inhibition to Cu metal

Bio-inspired by nature, superhydrophobic surface provides opportunities in the field of material protection. In this research, a single one-step electrodeposition procedure has fabricated superhydrophobic (SHP) coating based on Ca-myristic acid complex onto Cu substrate. The as-fabricated superhydrophobic surfaces possess extremely low surface adhesive force to water phase and excellent self-cleaning and antifouling ability. Using different electrochemical approaches including scanning Kelvin probe (SKP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization curve techniques, the coating is revealed to protect Cu substrate from corrosion. After being soaked in 3.5wt% NaCl solution for 120 h, corrosion current density of SHP Cu is still much lower (1/27.5) than that of bare Cu. In addition, through 5.0wt% NaCl salt spray experiment, the corrosion current density of SHP Cu decreases to 5.49×10−5 mA/cm2, which is much lower than that of the bare Cu (1.02×10−6 mA/cm2). Therefore, the SHP coating can be potentially used to protect Cu from corrosion in harsh environment.