Electrodeposition of composite films of reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline in neutral aqueous solution on inert and oxidizable metal

Abstract

Polyaniline-graphene oxide (GO) composite films were electrodeposited under potentiodynamic conditions in a neutral potassium nitrate solution on both inert platinum and oxidizable Fe electrodes. Neutral electrolytic bath was preferred to the acidic bath due to higher stability of the GO dispersion against precipitation and higher stability of Fe against corrosion. Polyaniline-reduced GO (rGO) films were obtained by electrochemical reduction of GO in PANI-GO films. Polarization of iron in this neutral aqueous electrolyte leads to passivation of the surface but without preventing electropolymerization of aniline. The electrodeposited coatings were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), UV–vis and FTIR techniques. The morphology and structure of the films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion tests performed in acidic solution (1M HCl) demonstrate the potential utility of PANI-rGO composite as an anticorrosion coating.