Study on the antibacterial and anti-corrosion properties of Ni-GO/Ni-rGO composite coating on manganese steel

This work studies the antibacterial and anti-corrosion properties of nickel-graphene oxide (Ni-GO) composite coating and nickel-reduced graphene oxide (Ni-rGO) composite coating deposited by magnetic field assisted scanning jet electrodeposition on manganese steel. Agar plate assessment and cell live/dead staining were used to evaluate the antibacterial property of the two types of composite coatings. The Ni-GO and Ni-rGO composite coatings can effectively improve the antibacterial property of the substrate. The Ni-GO composite coating deposited with graphene oxide (GO) concentration of 0.5 g/L showed the most excellent antibacterial ability, and its antibacterial rate against E. coli and S. aureus within 2 h were 100% and 93%, respectively. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicated that the protective efficiency of the two types of composite coatings on the manganese steel reaches 99% after being immersed in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution for 7 days. The combined effect of barrier protection from GO-based materials (GO, rGO) and corrosion products effectively inhibits the corrosion behavior of the two types of composite coatings. •GO and rGO were used to prepare nickel-based composite coatings.•The two types of composite coatings exhibit excellent antibacterial and anti-corrosion properties.•Optimized concentration of GO/rGO can improve the antibacterial and anti-corrosion properties of the composite coating.