Hongbo Cong

The time-dependent effects of temperature and salt (NaCl) concentration on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in CO₂-saturated environments were explored using various electrochemical techniques coupled with XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM/FIB examinations. At constant salt level, corrosion rate increases, and stabilizes when the temperature is below 60°C. When temperature is higher than 60°C, corrosion rate firstly increases, reaches an apex, and then starts decreasing continuously. The magnitude of the decrease is inversely proportionally to the salt concentration, which is attributed to the microstructure of dual-layer FeCO₃ scale. Polarization experiments indicate the anodic process is more affected by salt concentration than temperature while the opposite is true for the cathodic kinetics. Although chloride is not detected in the corrosion scale, it is regarded to have significant influence on the nucleation and growth of FeCO₃ and therefore the properties (e.g., thickness and compactness) of the corrosion scales. Lastly, a mechanism is proposed for the evolution of corrosion scales on carbon steel in CO₂ saturated environment as a function of temperature and salt concentration.

To address the lack of blood compatibility and antifouling properties of polyurethanes (PUs), a novel zwitterionic poly(carboxybetaine urethane) (PCBHU) platform with excellent antifouling and tunable mechanical properties is presented. PCBHU was synthesized via the condensation polymerization of diisocyanate with carboxybetaine (CB)-based triols. Postpolymerization hydrolysis of triol segments at the interface generates zwitterionic CB functional groups that provide superior antifouling properties via the enhanced hydration capacities of CB groups. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry measurement show the high thermal stability of PCBHU with up to 305 °C degradation temperature. Tunable mechanical properties and water uptakes can be finely tuned by controlling the structure and ratio of CB-based triol cross-linkers. This study presents a new strategy to incorporate CB functional groups into PU without significantly changing the synthetic methods and conditions of PU. It also provides a deeper understanding on structure–property relationships of zwitterionic PUs. Because of its superior antifouling properties than existing PUs and similar cost, mechanical properties, stability, and processability, PCBHU has the great potential to replace current PUs and may open a new avenue to PUs for more challenging biomedical applications in which the existing PUs are limited by calcification and poor antifouling properties.

This work reports a study of electropolymerization kinetics, film thickness, stability, and antifouling properties of polydopamine (PDA) and its three analogues: poly(3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-l-alanine) (PL-DOPA), poly(5-hydroxytryptophan) (PL-5-HTP), and poly(Adrenalin) (PAdrenalin). It was observed that the number of the hydroxyl groups on the benzene ring and the type (primary vs secondary) of amine group significantly affect the electropolymerization kinetics and thus the thickness of the obtained polymer films. Monomers with two hydroxyl groups (except Adrenalin) resulted in films that were thicker (∼10–15 nm) than the one with only one hydroxyl group (PL-5-HTP) (∼5–8 nm) under similar conditions. Adrenalin containing a secondary amino group could not be deposited onto the ITO substrate, while the other three compounds containing a primary amino group completely covered the ITO. The PDA films had better electrochemical stability than the other films. No film showed stable antifouling surfaces against protein.

This work aims at obtaining comprehensive information on the corrosion behaviour of AA2024-T3 in oxalic acid solutions under different concentrations (0.007–0.2 M) and pH (2–6). Various tests to characterise the corrosion behaviour are performed, including weight loss and electrochemical tests. Coupon surfaces are examined using infinite-focus microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. Corrosion rates, anodic and cathodic reaction kinetics are detailed to provide a fundamental understanding of the electrochemical behaviour of AA2024-T3 as a function of pH and oxalate concentration. The synergistic effect of pH and oxalate concentration on corrosion of AA2024-T3 is evaluated for both AA2024-T3 matrix and main intermetallics (i.e. Al–Cu–Mg and Al–Cu–Fe–Mn) and the electrochemical behaviour of each constituent element in AA2024-T3 is systematically studied.