Large-scale multilayer reduced graphene oxide coatings on metals - market study

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

A major challenge in modern materials engineering is to make cost effective anticorrosive coatings. Reducedgraphene oxide (rGO) is a great candidate in this arena as it can be used in water lubricated coatings, offeringan environmentally safe replacement to oil lubrications in oil tankers and pipelines. Significant efforts focusedon developing methods to produce rGO thin-films through thermal, chemical or electrical treatments. However,the most common protocols for reducing graphene oxide (GO) to rGO rely on using toxic solvents, causingserious safety and environmental concerns. The growth of rGO directly on stainless steel for implantapplications has not been assessed. We recently developed a simple process for growing multilayer rGO filmson stainless steel (SS316L) surfaces using solution-phase molecular precursors of coronene. Coronene isbasically a small flake of graphene which can undergo dimerization by subsequent annealing. Our processconsists of drop casting a solution of coronene on SS316L, followed by thermal annealing under air andsubsequent cooling. Th rGO coating enhances the mechanical properties of SS316L for various applications.We also improved a number of factors such as good film uniformity and thickness control, minimization ofsolution consumption, large area deposition capability, and cost effectiveness. Our approach elucidates thestructure/function relationship in the rGO films, targeting corrosion-resistance properties that lead to durability,reliability, survivability and maintainability of rGO thin-films. The diverse applicability of our method makes itpromising and warrants market assessment. Such anticorrosive coatings are expected to have a significantimpact on the Canadian industry including manufacturing, automotive and submarine technologies.