Protection of copper from corrosion through electrodeposited poly-2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole–TiO2 composite film

An efficient, simple, robust strategy for the protection of copper in a neutral medium has been developed by the fabrication of electropolymerised film of 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD) + TiO 2 composite. The electrosynthesised polymeric and composite films were characterised by different spectroscopic methods (FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and XRD pattern). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation studies confirmed the superior corrosion inhibition performance of fabricated composite film on copper in 3.5% NaCl medium. The enhanced protection efficiency of the polymeric composite could be due to the synergism between the organic polymer and inorganic particles. It is also found that the protection efficiency of the DMTD–TiO 2 composite film lasts for more than 24 h. Further, SEM analysis reveals the formation of the protective film of the composite over Cu surface, while EDAX analysis unravels its composition. The study on effect of scan rate on electropolymerisation revealed that the electrodeposition of the polymer is a diffusion-controlled process. Thus, the study suggests that the fabrication of DMTD–TiO 2 composite is an ideal strategy for the protection of copper in a neutral medium.