Fabrication of Nanostructured Corrosion-Resistant Superhydrophobic Coating on Copper by Electrodeposition: A Comprehensive Critical Review

Corrosion is an undesirable electrochemical reaction that leads to material degradation and affects material properties like ductility, malleability, conductivity, etc. The consequences of corrosion are machine failure, bridge failures, buildings collapse, and significant economic losses to GDP (4-5%). Furthermore, corrosion can pose serious safety risks that result in casualties which makes minimizing the effect of corrosion a great challenge. Traditional solutions like inhibitors, design modification, and paints are available to prevent corrosion but have many limitations, such as cost, durability, stability issues, and general inefficiency. In this context, a nanostructured superhydrophobic coating (SH) is gaining attention for its corrosion prevention efficiency and other broad industrial applications. The nano air pockets present in SH coating exhibit a high contact angle due to their unique combination of high surface roughness, distinctive nanostructure, and reduced surface energy. This reduces the surface area of between the corrosive substance,water droplet and the metal surface, leading to improved efficiency in resisting corrosion. In this paper, the recent advancement in electrodeposition to develop corrosion-resistant SH coatings on copper substrate and compression with other metals with their physical, chemical, and thermal stabilities are discussed. In many papers, scientists observed different types of surface morphology, texture, and surface energy, which give different tendencies to prevent surfaces from corrosion are also disscused . The constraints in fabrication and the prospects of the coating are also highlighted.