To enhance the corrosion resistance and bio-adhesion ability of AISI 304 stainless steel in the food processing environment, a Cu-Ce/TiO 2 composite coating was successfully fabricated on the surface of AISI 304 stainless steel by using the ultrasonic-assisted direct current electrodeposition method. The Cu-Ce/TiO 2 composite coating effectively enhanced surface performance. Among the components studied, the coating’s corrosion potential was the highest (−0.176 V), whereas the corrosion current density was relatively low (9.28 × 10 −8 A/cm 2 ). The enhanced corrosion resistance is attributed to its uniform element distribution and the formation of a dense passivation film rich in dense oxides. The Cu-Ce/TiO 2 composite coating exhibited the strongest antibacterial effect, with the antibacterial rates against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reaching 99.6% and 99.5%, respectively. The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between the contact-sterilization action of copper and cerium ions and the ion-release mechanism of TiO 2 , which promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species. Finally, the co-deposition mechanism of Cu-Ce alloy was studied through electrochemical tests. The results showed that the formation of the copper-cerium alloy is a transient nucleation process controlled by adsorption and desorption.
Li et al. (Tue,) studied this question.