Stimuli-responsive polymers with labile linkages for anticorrosion coatings

Abstract

The corrosion of metals is associated with changes in the electrochemical potential and local pH values near the surface of the metal, and an increased metal cation concentration. Therefore, coatings for metals have been designed to induce the repair of electrochemical or mechanical damage in response to these stimuli. Corrosion inhibitors, which are molecules that can adsorb on the surface of metals to form a barrier for corrosive species, can be conjugated to polymers via labile linkages. The polymers discussed in this review can be processed as coatings or incorporated in more conventional coatings as fillers or additives. Upon corrosion, the inhibitors are released selectively from the polymers, leading to a significant decrease in the corrosion rate.