Corrosion resistance and antibacterial activity of electrosynthesized polypyrrole

•The polypyrrole is electrodeposited on the steel in salicylate medium.•The electrodeposited polypyrrole showed a high resistance against the corrosion of steel.•The antibacterial activity is evaluated by the ISO 22196 method.•A Strong antibacterial activity was noticed of the modified polypyrrole. In this work, we describe a method for coating a carbon steel surface by (PPy) layers to improve its corrosion resistance capabilities and also these antimicrobial properties. The coating was obtained by electrosynthesis in the sodium salicylate solution using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic techniques. Surface analysis by XPS, SEM and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the electrodeposition, stability and morphology of (PPy) film on the carbon steel surface. The corrosion protection properties of the coatings were examined by OCP, EIS and atomic adsorption spectroscopy revealing a high degree of corrosion-resistance in salt containing medium. The antibacterial activity of the modified surface was assessed by using the standardized method ISO 22196 confirming enhancement of the antibacterial activity of this coated material comparing the untreated surface to the Silver/PPy coated carbon steel. This coated carbon steel material acquired interesting qualities of corrosion resistance, low cost and antibacterial for many industrial applications.